What do you think about Napster?

[wst3]

[i]Originally posted by tw /i]
In semicondutors, a new process was recently developed to inlay copper. Does the process remain only the property of IBM. Yes- if IBM remains as anti-American as it was throughout the 1980s. However IBM licenses the technology because a productive society does share tech breakthroughs to the advantage of all AND to the profit of its creators.

How is it anti-anything to want to be compensated for the cost of developing an idea? Why shouldn't it be IBM's choice as to whether or not they license this technology?

I agree that licensing makes the most sense for a lot of reasons... it helps the creator recoup expenses at the least, and maybe even make a profit, which encourages future innovation, and it allows others to enhance the idea.

And if this is alright then why isn't it alright for an artist to license their creations and be compensated for their efforts?

[i]Originally posted by tw /i]
The question is simply how does the music creator still earn his profits while society prospers from his accomplishments?

The obvious answer is that you teach society to respect property rights, but since that isn't practical, you make laws that provide protection to those who create intellectual property. Oh yeah, we've got those!

[i]Originally posted by tw /i]
IOW how do we make the big 5 corporations irrelevant or less necessary? Ironically the best source for that answer should come from the big 5 companies.

While I would love to see the music industry "reorganized" so that artists and the public got a better shake, it probably isn't going to happen as long as the street rules, and I don't see that going away anytime soon.

So we have to live with profit motive... OK, it probably has more good that bad points overall. Which means that new artists need to embrace the web and take advantage of it. Then the big five will be irrelevant for those artists.

In order for this to work, the public has to respect these artists and their right to be reimbursed for their work.

It'll take time, but it really is that simple!