Net surfers spent the weekend downloading music. At one point on Sunday, nearly 10,000 users were connected, sharing nearly 1.5 million free song files. Napster now has 57 million registered users. At an Oct. 2 hearing, the recording industry asked for an injunction to shut down Napster, pending the results of a trial. A judge had earlier granted the injunction, but Napster immediately appealed and remains open pending Monday's ruling.
Courts are slow to act, except when they feel they have to.
My guess is they're going to refuse the request and send it back to the original court, saying the judge needs to do more homework, because an injunction is an extreme remedy. But Malcolm Maclachlan, an analyst with market research firm IDC, predicts the injunction will be upheld. The way the courts have interpreted the law, Napster is illegal and clearly infringing on copyrights. Napster users aren't the only ones holding their breath for the ruling. A verdict will tip the scales one way or the other.