:E-Commerce Times: The Napster War: Piracy or Persecution?
E-Commerce Times: The Napster War: Piracy or Persecution? May 25, 2000, 22 :58 UTC (3 Talkback[s]) (3283 reads) (Other stories by Chet Dembeck) (As seen on LinuxInsider.com)
"Earlier this week, the well known San Francisco,
California-based Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
agreed to pour $15 million (US$) into popular
music-swapping site Napster, stirring up another
hornet's nest of controversy in the music industry. "
"Hummer Winblad's action begged the question: Why
would anyone invest in a music company that is
struggling to defend itself in a climate of acrimonious
legal battles? Napster and its cohort, file-swapping
software maker MP3.com, are facing lawsuits from such
big name artists as rock group Metallica and rapper Dr.
Dre, as well as the powerful Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA)."
"It was hardly surprising that the announcement of Napster's much-needed cash infusion
immediately drew fire. A large contingent of people in the music industry feel the San Mateo,
California-based company is lining its pockets by making it easy for consumers to rip off artists
via the Internet."
