Even those who forego a diet of pop music probably know of Napster.
This is the website that spearheaded the facility to download music
from the internet. It made available free music, added yet another
jargon term to the world's vocabulary - MP3 - and was repaid by the
unbridled fury of much of the music industry, which saw its
financial situation threatened, and the delight of the reputed 58
million people who rapidly became the site's users. In part this
book is about the rise of yet another internet phenomenon, and the
author, editor-in-chief of the magazine Internet Business, is well
equipped not only to write an interesting and insightful account of
Napster's career but also to carry the story much further. The book
moves on from its story of the technology and the legal battles
that the site prompted to look at the whole legacy of its effect on
the world of both electronic business and community power (were the
58 million users criminals?). This is a worthwhile book, its only
fault the inclusion of excessively long quotations from feverishly
enthusiastic Napster users. In a market crowded with books about
internet businesses, this offers more than many in its analysis of
one of the most dramatic technological developments in this area
and its wide implications for the future of electronic commerce.
(Kirkus UK)
This book is about - but not only about - Napster. The story of
Napster is important in its own right, but its legacy even more so.
The phenomenon that surrounds Napster has highlighted the
extraordinary potential for the mass mobilisation of consumer and
community power. This irresistible force - the underground Internet
- has blown apart conventional models of doing business.
Merriden charts the birth of Napster and its genesis in Internet
music communities. He describes in detail how big businesses felt
complacent enough to ignore Napster, only to turn on it when the
truth about their business models dawned. As the big companies got
nasty, Bertelsmann and Thomas Middelhof broke ranks and did a deal
with Napster.
The rapid spread in Napster's popularity has made many
businesses sit up and notice. And it wasn't just because of the
court room battles highlighted by the media every day. Some
estimates put the peak number of Napster users at around 58
million. Hard to ignore the cries of the masses. Through the
aftermath of those bloody court rooms, Napster has left a lasting
impact on the future of e-business. This legacy affects more than
music and record companies. In irresistible forces, Trevor Merriden
shows how all businesses who have an interest in the Internet
should pay attention. The influence on business of file sharing and
peer-to-peer technology will be profound in the years ahead.
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