Recently, I logged on to Napster as I always did and tried to download the new Janet Jackson song, All For You. When I entered Janet Jackson’s name, I received a message that said, “No Matching Files Found”. I figured I entered her name wrong, so I tried again and got the same message. Fearing the worst, I entered about six other names of well known artists and got the same message. It was then that I realized what was happening. Due to the court order against Napster – they were removing all copyrighted material from it’s database and making songs by artists that did not give them permission to use their songs unavailable for download. Marking the end of what was once a 19-year-old kid’s way of trading songs with his friends – and wound up becoming so popular that it made every major record label take him to court – and put him on the cover of Time Magazine.

Personally, I am disgusted at both the artists and the record companies for filing injunctions against Napster and forcing it to become a thing of the past for a number of valid reasons.

First, if the technology is there, why not use it? When record companies were spitting out millions of albums on records and cassettes, people were buying them. Then someone invented something called, “The Compact Disc” – so record companies abandoned the production of records and tapes and started selling CDs instead – so why can’t Napster distribute MP3s in the same fashion?

Second, by filing the injunction against Napster, record companies feel that people will once again start buying the music they love instead of downloading it – I disagree for two reasons. First of all, I am so mad at the artists and the record companies for doing what they did that I would rather flush my money down the toilet then give it to them. Second, if I had a nickel for every person I see on the streets of New York selling bootleg CDs I could by Napster. With the invention of the CD burner, copying CDs is a snap – I even asked my friend to burn me a copy of Aerosmith’s CD, Just Push Play recently and it took him a matter of minutes. So if burning CDs is that easy and that common – will the same record companies and artists that took down Napster now walk the streets and file injunctions against everyone they see selling these bootleg CDs?

Third and most important, I remember the days when artists and songwriters believed in their music so much that they would do just about anything to get their music circulated to enough people so that their music would become popular and loved by everyone. Napster was aiding them in that goal and the artists stopped them anyway. Amazing what happens when artists abandoned their goal of recognition for their desire for money.

So now we are forced to live in a Napster-less world thanks to the greed of the artists and record labels that saw Napster as a threat to their future profits rather then a help in getting their music to the mainstream audience. I hope that I am not the only one that will now either boycott purchasing records or purchase only bootleg records so the record companies can feel the loss anyway and now realize that when Napster was on-line, people may have downloaded the songs – but they were buying the albums anyway. Now, I hope that those who used to use Napster on a regular basis and can no longer do so see the record companies and the artists that tried to stop them for what they really are – greedy, money hungry hypocrites who care more about the money they make from the records they sell then the people who they sell them to.

Rest in peace Napster – you will always be missed – and always be remembered.