Bickering, oh the endless bickering! It seems like that has become the pastime of the record industry and the estimated 32 million Napster users. All this frustration was brought about when Napster revolutionized the use of person-to-person file sharing over the net. Littered throughout the world-wide-web are comments about Napster’s manipulation of laws regarding the record industry. On the other hand, there are thousands of reactions from pro-Napster users, who so proudly speak out in favor of it.The record industry would have the public believe that Napster is going to put every music artist on welfare; this simply is not true. Every argument they have presented in the previous months has, when the entire situation is considered, achieved very little. The problems that have presented themselves have not been due to a lack of cooperation from Napster, Inc. The “Industry”, on the other hand, has shown an obvious greed and blatant lack of compromise toward Napster’s attempts at harmony.Napster has proposed a number of ways to help the situation meet equilibrium. Every offer from Napster representatives has been shot down by the Industry. It is apparent that the would-be murderers of Napster have exhibited a thirst for blood that cannot be quenched by compromise.The most recent offer from Napster has the potential to end the yearlong controversy about what should be done. The idea is that an Internet Service Provider (ISP) should purchase Napster, which could allow the many to benefit. However, as with any offer towards a compromise, there are some drawbacks that must be considered. What makes the idea of an ISP purchase so appealing is that all three companies; the record industry, Napster, and the proposed ISP; have to give something up, forcing them to form a live and let-live situation. Let us look at the positives and negatives from all three perspectives.The ISP would have one major goal, some...
