The Creator of Napster Returns

It seems Shawn Fanning has learned the lesson of "If you can't beat them, join them" with his latest software creation. Instead of launching a free music swapping service, he is now offering a way to track Peer-to-Peer music downloads so that the copyright owners can get their royalties. The problem for him is that it has to be incorporated into the protocol for the Peer-to-Peer network. The problem for the Peer-to-Peer network is that they have claimed immunity from lawsuits saying that they can't track downloads. Seeing as how many of the users of the Peer-to-Peer networks are looking to get items for free (whether legally free or illegally free), I doubt this will take off unless court mandated. Personally, I don't see a reason for this other than to try to break the back of Peer-to-Peer music sharing. The benefit of the Peer-to-Peer networks is that they are free, but it might take you a while to find a good copy that isn't looped in the middle. The benefit of a music service such as the iTunes Music Service is that you don't have to work to find a good copy. In my mind, it's worth the 99 cents to not have to keep downloading a song only to find that I've found yet another bad copy. Currently, sharing music on a Peer-to-Peer network for which you don't have permission from the copyright holder is illegal. There has not been a court decision yet, that I know of, that has made downloading songs illegal. Still, 99 cents is worth the peace of mind and clear conscience for me. Everyone has the price they are willing to spend on music. If the Industry can find that price and still make a profit, Peer-to-Peer sharing will drastically diminish.