Companies trying to make a profit typically operate such servers. Spreading data among many personal computers could shift the balance of power from the commercial interests that now dominate the Internet to the individual. Note that any sort of intellectual property can be swapped in this way. We can't criminalize 37 million users. We have to develop business models that are legal.
Somebody has to take the lead for the industry.
Bertlesmann says some of the money it is giving Napster will be used to perfect and streamline its file-swapping technology. And in a formula that has yet to be worked out, Bertlesmann says some of the money earned from Napster's user fees will be returned to the record companies and artists who were getting nothing from digital file-swapping on the Net. This just shows once again that the Internet is evolving in ways that were unforeseen as recently as two months ago. Well, the presidential election is only days away. Here are some sites to help out.