A Post-Post-Napster Downloader's Guide - Industry Trend or Event

Industry Standard, The, July 2, 2001 by Ethan Smith

WE'D' NEVER ENDORSE PIRACY OF COURSE, BUT FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN AMERICANS' GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO FREE MUSIC, SOME ADVICE.

You've seen the headlines about Napster's imminent shutdown and then putative resuscitation by an 11th-hour deal with three major labels. It seemed like a crushing blow: After months of half-hearted compliance with the filtering system ordered by U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel, Napster finally caved. Not that we're taking sides, but there's still plenty of downloadable music on the Net. For comparison's sake, we searched each service for certain songs and performers. We chose British rockers Radiohead since they're the closest thing we have to an official band of the Net, thanks to the famed Instant Messaging Radiohead Bot. And we picked Prince because, well, unlike many Internet execs, he's still partying like it's 1999.