“I want my Napster!”
That seems to be the general opinion of several high-school students who were interviewed after a court ordered Napster to block all copyrighted songs from being traded.
Students interviewed here expressed strong feelings about the Napster court case. Many regular Napster users had downloaded material that they knew was copyrighted.
Out of roughly 25 students, almost all were against the court’s decision to remove copyrighted material from Napster servers. Most students interviewed say they feel that Napster inspired them to buy CDs; it did not discourage them. Only a few said that downloaded music had stopped them from purchasing CDs.
Students were vocal about the case. “I’m for Napster. I think it helps people to find what they want and then they go out and buy CDs,” said junior Amy Steele. “Just leave Napster alone,” said junior Greg Reimann.
“I think it’s stupid because it can’t be stopped and people are just going to find ways around [the court’s decision],” said sophomore Lisa Hunte.
Even foreign language teacher Mr. Ruggiero spoke in favor of Napster. He said that buying CDs is like going to a restaurant; you stick with something familiar that you know that you’ll like.
On the other hand, he said, Napster is more like going to a supermarket and sampling some food there; you try new things that you may like. He even praised Napster for its educational value; he sends downloaded music to students in France.
However, some did acknowledge that laws were being broken. “It had to happen eventually. It’s wrong to steal music,” said one student.
This decision has resulted from a series of events, starting in December of 1999. It has involved many levels of courts, several decisions by judges, and actions taking by many artists. Metallica and Dr. Dre even went so far as to attempt a ban on users who had downloaded their songs.
The actions of these artists were not popular among students. “What happened to free music?” asked senior Todd Sykes.
Napster’s future is currently uncertain. The details are sketchy, but there are plans for a fee-based service sometime this summer, with basic service costing about $5 a month, and full service for about $10.
Most students interviewed did not like the idea of a fee. Junior Ally Lingg expressed the thoughts of many when she said, “I thought music was to make people happy.”

Dates of Importance to Napster Users
December 7, 1999-Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) files a lawsuit against Napster in the US District Court of the Northern District of California
May 4, 2000-Metallica has over 300,000 users removed from Napster for breaking copyright laws by trading Metallica songs
May 17, 2000-Dr. Dre has 240,000 users banned for trading his songs
June 12, 2000-RIAA files a lawsuit threatens to shut down Napster for good
July 28, 2000-Judge delays injunction that ordered Napster to shut down
February 20, 2001-Napster offers $1 billion to record companies in damages for lost revenue-Record companies decline
March 6, 2001-Napster agrees to block all copyrighted songs, providing that the copyright owners send notice to Napster, and can provide proof of ownership
This information courtesy of: The Wall Street Journal, 12/9/1999; USA Today, 5/4/2000; ABC News, 5/18/2000; Billboard, 6/14/2000; The Standard, 7/28/2000; The Standard, 2/20/2001; Billboard, 3/6/2001