A little over one week ago, your music was taken from you. A United States District Court Judge handed down a ruling that will force everyone’s favorite music outlet to shut down. I don’t have to tell you about Napster. Everyone knows who started it, the services it provides and that it’s under constant jeopardy because it provides music for free.

For me, the issue is a gray area. I do believe that artists should get credit for the music they create, whether it be monetary or a copyright. However, I believe that the whole purpose of music is that it be enjoyed in an open forum, like the one Napster has created. Napster allows you to share the music you love with others.

Music makes a good time even better, and it helps you forget about life for awhile. We’ve been fortunate enough to have Napster for most of our college careers. In the days before Napster, party music wasn’t half as easy to plan and record companies could trick us in to paying 17 bucks for a CD. What college student can afford to pay $17 for a CD? I don’t know about you, but I’m so poor that I’ve begun to consider putting everything in my apartment up for bid on eBay. Who really needs a bathroom sink anyways? It just takes up space.

Artists, most notably Dr. Dre and Metallica, have strongly opposed Napster. Last May, Metallica sued Napster for copyright infringement and racketeering. Dr. Dre’s suit followed. These artists claim that Napster and its clients (i.e. their fans) steal from them and threaten their livelihood. This is the best part of the whole issue, because I’ve seen Dr. Dre’s abode on MTV’s Cribs. I’m sure you’ve seen Cribs, and if you haven’t, you’re missing an exclusive look into the world of stars. Dr. Dre’s ‘crib’ is a fully loaded, rapper/producer/chronic lovers pad. He’s got more gold in his house than O.D.B’s got in his teeth. And the cars, oh God, the cars. The man’s got a Mercedes dealership in his garage. I hardly see how some kid downloading ‘Forgot about Dre’ in his dorm room is taking from the good doctor’s wealth.

Metallica actually brought a list to court. This list contained the names of all their fans who ‘illegally’ enjoy their music.

I’m sorry, but isn’t the sole purpose of the unknown little band that plays in the basement to create music that others can enjoy? I’ve seen plenty Behind the Music’s to know that, yes, they do it for the chicks, the fame and the guaranteed substance abuse. It seems that in the beginning, though, it’s about the music, it’s about people getting together and singing and having a good time.

To say that the open forum which Napster has created is thievery is ridiculous. Market studies have shown that CD sales haven’t lowered since the onset of Napster and that most artists get their primary income from concerts and promotion, not CD sales.

Napster executives say that they have been trying to devise a service that will provide music without infringing copyright laws and artist’s rights. The new service will cost a monthly fee, just like an internet service, and likely charge somewhere between 10 or 20 bucks a month. This is a start. It seems fair and will, thankfully, allow Dre to maintain his Benz fetish (and I thought shoes were costly). If you’re a frequent user of Napster, than it will be worth the fee. If you are only a dabbler in the world of downloadable music exchange, than you will be forced to go to Newbury comics where you will pay at least $11.99 for some CD that you really only want for a couple of tunes. Then, as you head for the register, you’re sidetracked by all those great little toys they have on display. Cause hey, you might need a ‘Fat Bastard’ poseable doll and some of those clever ‘while you were stoned’ message cubes. So now you’ve spent 25 bucks. That 25 bucks was supposed to be for the course packet you needed last week.

For true music fans, Napster is wonderful for the sheer fact that some of the music that’s available cannot be found anywhere else. Napster also allows the smaller bands to be recognized. If an artist isn’t on ‘TRL,’ Top 40 radio or playing on the ‘Late Show’ you have to find them yourself or be introduced to them through another outlet. For the past three or so years, Napster has changed that. What if they don’t reach an agreement with the courts? If they can’t agree on a set price, or the recording industry doesn’t accept it, then Napster could be a thing of the past.
Melody Zagami is a Collegian Columnist.