Napster Dilemma :: essays research papers

A major business ethics issue has surfaced which has a dramatic impact on the playscripting industry and may appropriate additional industries. As this issue of our newsletter goes to press, the 9th Circuit Federal judiciary of Appeals in San Francisco, California should be close to rendering a ending in the Napster case. This case has been in the limelight for several months, and many tribe are following it with great interest since they have important adventure in its outcome. Many college and university students, faculty and administrators have been particularly tuned in to the case, since Napster is genuinely popular on campuses. Regardless of its outcome, the case is expected to transcend the parties involved and have an immense impact on the future of cyberspace, the internet, and the information highway. In this article, I will bring the readers up to date on the case, including the appeal arguments presented in support of both sides. As one can imagine, the efficac ious documents in the case are very voluminous, technical and complex. So to imbibe it easier for the reader to follow, I am presenting the key points in laymans terms. What is Napster and how does it work? In early 1999, Shawn Fanning, a Northeastern University freshman, created Napster software. That summer he made it forthcoming for free through his Napster.com website. Napster is a peer-to-peer technology, which makes it possible for drug users to freely share their unison files through the internet with other users all over the world. Specifically, this is how Napster worksA user sends a request for a vociferation. Napster checks its database of music to see if the song is on the PC hard-drive of another Napster user whose computer is turned on (Note No music is stored on Napster servers). Napster finds the song. Napster sends the song in MP3 format to the user who requested it. What is the controversy and status of the case? The record industry alleges that Napster is pl easing in or assisting others in copying copyrighted music without remuneration or the express permission of the rights owner. The chronology of the case is, as followsDecember 6, 1999 the record industry sued Napster in Federal District Court for copyright infringements, and petitioned that appeal to turn out down Napster. July 26, 2000 the judge issued a temporary injunction to shut down Napster. July 27, 2000 Napster appealed the ruling before the U.