Competition among business is the very thing that keeps it alive, and the public out of debt. Metallica and its cohorts are merely afraid of the competition and are trying to avoid it as opposed to welcoming the challenge. Besides Napster is not the wholly democratic music distributer it makes itself out to be. Shawn Fanning, Napster's young inventor, is still trying to figure out how to employ some sort of subscription for the site as a way to make money. Profit, not the fans, is the driving force behind Napster as well.
Music companies can benefit by responding to fans' desire to have new music at their disposal.
Artists can benefit by increasing their fan base through the ease of obtaining music on the Internet. The fans would be the biggest winners because they would have nearly instant access to the latest music and a wider variety of choices. Bootleg music that isn't available on many CDs would now be attainable. The technology for more accessible music is there and the demand for it is exceedingly high. The record industry would do well to delve into utilizing it rather than clinging to the eight-track of the 20th century.