As Stanford Law School professor Lawrence Lessig recently pointed out in an interview with the O Reilly Network, the Napster ruling could mean that no venture capitalist invests money in new modes of distribution unless the technology companies have their houses in order. But if there are legal risks to innovation, then there will be less innovation. Nevertheless, the Internet has proved that it can regulate itself. Bullying from large corporations and government will only hinder, not help. As for the entertainment industry, it needs to develop economic models that are aligned with the goal of moving greater volumes at lower prices.
Few consumers are likely to balk at spending a dollar to listen to an album before purchasing it.
In a session in Davos, you spoke of a more controlled Internet driven primarily by commercial considerations. This was a possibility. The alternative is that the control will be driven by governments. The Internet itself will not be only commercial. This is very different from centralised content control, also known as censorship.