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Napster: Music Industry Revolution
by Pat Esclavon Hardy
StarIQ.com Syndicate |
A revolution in the music industry has surfaced! In 1999, Shawn
Fanning, a Northeastern University undergraduate, wrote a small
MP3-sharing software application known as Napster. Originally designed
for the exchange of Fanning and friends' own recordings, Napster
quickly became a conduit for mainstream MP3s, and an MP3-sharing
community was built overnight as the beta version of the shareware
program quickly caught on. New songs could be found and downloaded
at the touch of a button. Entire albums could be exchanged in minutes
for free. In addition, the natal Sagittarian Sun (self) in the company's
chart sextiles Mars (action) conjunct Neptune (illusion, lack of
boundaries), producing the ability to do it all anywhere with complete
anonymity.
The Recording Industry Association of America contends that the
service Napster provides is just a high-tech shortcut to music piracy. But
in recent "friends of the court" briefs, the Computer and
Communications Industry Association, which represents tech giants like
AT&T, Yahoo and Oracle, said the courts need to reinterpret and revise
some of the "overprotective" models for guarding intellectual property.
Born on a Media Moon
Napster's incorporation chart (a chart drawn for the date the
company was incorporated) reflects the issues surrounding it
at the time of the company's "birth." Born on a Gemini Full
Moon, communication and idea-sharing are where Napster
shines! This chart reveals the Gemini infleunce of
information, media, distribution and marketing to the general public.
The Moon (the public) trines Neptune and widely trines Mars,
suggesting the public's vision of the company is inflated or bigger than
what was initially intended. Never was this more obvious than when
Napster test-drove the beta software, and the next thing you know
twenty million people were using it - all within six months.
The Sagittarian Sun, at the profound 0 degree, sextiles musical
Neptune in the technology sign of Aquarius, and action-planet Mars in
the business sign of Capricorn. It's not all about software. Finally,
garage bands around the world have an easy way to distribute their
songs to previously untapped audiences. This is about the new
generation of the "digital media distribution market."
Big Challenges Come Too Fast
Napster's driving force is the t-square signature in the chart between
Saturn, Mercury and Uranus. Saturn in Taurus (the thorn in Napster's
side) represents the traditional way the music business has operated.
It is opposed the remotely cryptic Mercury in Scorpio, which further
shows Napster's ability to facilitate anonymous communication. Uranus
in Aquarius squares them both, adding a new awareness formed in the
way music is distributed to millions. The concept of file sharing among
millions through a simple software application is cutting-edge and can
be used in many other industries. Natal Saturn separating from
(moving away from the exact square angle) Uranus suggests Napster's
creation may not continue in the same form as it is known today.
Landmark Cyberspace Battle
Legal hassles continue from the trial outcome on August 18, 2000 that
almost closed Napster's doors. Opening arguments in the trial pitting
Napster, Inc. against some of the giants of the recording industry will
start on October 2, 2000. This continues to be a landmark battle over
copyright protection in cyberspace that can eventually touch books,
movies, television and other forms of media.
On September 6, in a separate case with music Internet startup,
MP3.com, a federal judge ruled that MP3.com "engaged in thousands
of acts of copyright infringement when it created an 80,000-album
digital database, allowing users to stream music from its servers." The
judge fined MP3.com $118 million in damages. This case set a
precedent that could have a profound impact on the upcoming Napster
trial.
In early October, near the time of the trial, transiting Saturn at
station (0 degree of Gemini) will oppose Napster's Sun, bringing
traditional law to the forefront as Napster's legal team claims "the
recording industry has tried to use its stranglehold on music copyrights
to force technology companies to acquiesce to its demands." Napster's
challenge will be to appear to produce a win-win between the public and
industry. Transiting Jupiter (expansion) in Gemini (communication)
opposed natal Pluto (power) suggests the opponent may be strong,
and Napster must proceed with caution, making a special effort to
placate them. They may need to enlarge (Jupiter) their personal goals
to encompass the industry's goals, or the court could close their doors.
Digital Playing Field Has Changed
Film and publishing executives stay awake at night with the thought
that what happened to the music industry could happen to them.
Napster represents the collective consciousness of change in the digital
media distribution market, whether it is music, film or publishing. The
way we access these is about to change! Regardless of the ongoing
litigation, Napster has forever changed the concept of music
distribution, and perhaps signaled the end of the music industry as we
know it.
Notes
MP3 is a compression computer music file format that uses about
one-tenth of the space used by the regular wave files you play on your
stereo. It can turn music on compact disks into small computer files.
This article was provided by the astrologically adept folks over at StarIQ.com, and was written by Pat Esclavon Hardy. They have a very cool, FREE email list that will send you personalized astrological info every couple days... so go sign up! Need more LOVE-specific help? No problem... just order their helpful Venus Cycle special reports that will keep you appraised of your romantic potential.
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