About Napster...

I was wondering, could a program like Napster be made in VB? I would think it is possible, I'm just wondering. Also what do you guys think about Napster being sued? Do you want it shut down or do you support Napster? Sorry if this was supposed to be in the Chit Chat forum, but I get more replies here.

[gfk]

Well, 99% of the stuff on Napster is illegal so in theory it should be shut down. On the other hand, they have their disclaimer and can ban individuals if complaints are made.

Just look at it from a musician's point of view.

Suppose Napster was intended for distributing Visual Basic programs?

i wouldn't mind if i spent lots of time making a game in VB and people traded it all over napster. i would be flattered actually, imagine people likeing something you made so much as to search for it and get it. i think that is pretty cool. anyway thanks for the reply.

[Sire]

This is different, Napster trade music that is illegal because the guys or gals who made it want to sell it instead of not earning a buck because it is traded free. Though I love Napster and think it is a wonderful place to gain new music.

[noone]

While I agree that probably 99% of the music traded on Napster is illegal, I don't believe Napster it self can be held legally responsible because no music files are everstored on their servers. The users make the napster network what it is, if everyone traded legal files it would be legal, otherwise it is how it is now.

[SonGouki]

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9:00PM Saturday, May 6, 2000
Napster is down!!!!! I just went through the whole servers list in Napigator and every single one is down!!! Oh God, I hope this isn't permanent! That's it, I think we should all start writing our own versions in VB. We can't let the MP3 revolution die!

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

There is no more purpose to life!
(well besides women, family, programming, sports, work, breathing, and of course VB-World :)

[lumin]

Making a Napster like program can be done in VB (I know this because I have made a similar program before)

But im glad Napster is down because it was probably the most sucesfull Trojan ever made.. it was no problem opening a file transfer for anyfile while the user used Napster, I never used the program myself but I had a friend who just couldnt figure out why he was constantly reciving files and sending files. after some minor investigation on his computer we figured out that someone had cracked his computer and was changing the dll files with virus infected files. And once we closed napster the bastard was disconnected.


-Lumin

[Sacofjoea]

SonGouki there is such a thing as other programs...

http://www.scour.com
http://www.imesh.com

http://www.download.com
(Search for "mp3" or "mp3 trade")

Napster isn't the only option for Mp3 trade...




(wow, this forum sure likes to mess up your links)


[Edited by Sacofjoea on 06-11-2000 at 04:16 AM]

[HeSaidJoe]

If the price for music was "FAIR" then musicians wouldn't have to worry about copying...think about it...guys making a million for one song...la tee da...if you paid $1.oo a song for a song of your choice it would be ideal instead of buying an album with 12 songs on for $20.++.. and getting one song that is worth listening too...
Screw em all...they rip .. you rip.. all's fair in hell and war.
GET WHAT YOU CAN WHILE YOU CAN...

[SteveCRM]

It was still up after may 6. I was on it last week.

[SteveCRM]

what are you talking about, Im on it now!

[winapi]

Hi,
I found a napster like program at http://www.planet-source-code.com/ .just do a search for napster in the vb section. Full source included

Napster should not be sued. They are just supplying the music and hopeing that people use it legally. The people who have downloaded MP3's and haven't paid for the original song should be sued. They're the bad guys, not Napster.

The bands are not losing any money. The songs I download from napster I would NOT have bought in the store anyway. So how are they losing money? Then there are songs that I downloaded, and was reminded of how much I liked them, so I bought the CD. If they are losing some money to napster, what about to people burning audio cds for their friends? I think Metallica shouldn't be such little B**ch's and sue all the CDR manufacturers too, and all the CDR software companies. They help promote the theft of their music too by allowing people to burn CD's for their friends.
Anyway, that's my thoughts...

[Sacofjoea]

Actually, Napster isn't supplying the music, so Napster can't be held at fault. And the server they have is their own, and they should be able to use it for whatever reason they want, and record companies shouldn't be able to shut that down, just the company supplying the server... As far as the program, I see it as a program that happens to run, and by some odd chance, it connects to their server, and allows you to download from other users. The creators of Napster don’t say once to go download Mp3's from artists, and the real purpose is for smaller bands to give out music over the net. Napster isn't, and wont (more than likely) be shut down... Users will only be blocked if it continues to be misused

[invitro]

Well it depends for me. I love to use napster myself dont get me wrong, but i think its wrong to trade mp3'z like that. Aspecially mp3z that artists spend days in making. I mean, some CD's are crap, but some entire CD's are wicked. Its sort of a big warez fest, except their trading mp3'z. Its not napsters fault i dont think, but imagine if someone made a program to trade programs instead of mp3z.............................................................hmmmmmm, now theres an idea....... to trade zips and stuff................... and demo games and such.

So you think these guys aren't making a buck and are not aware of the frenzy of pirate activity on their board....right and the Kennedys aren't gun shy.

Yes Napster can be held at fault. During the Masters of Deception bust a Games Book company...don't have the details with me but the company was Steve something Games....were raided by the FBI for having one Telco document on one of their servers. The precedent is there to be used.

It was Steve Jackson Games. All PCs and anything else that was electric were removed from their offices by the FBI, who incidently had Telco employees with them at the time.

Therefore by having even one pirate piece of warez on their servers they can be shut down. Further if you earn your living from promoting illegal activities you can be held as an accessory after the fact. Napster know what's on their site, they earn money from it, therefore they are accessories to a crime.

Actually l caren't rule out having a few CDRs of music sitting around at home...so l guess l'm guilty of piracy as well.....

[invitro]

Do you guys think law for piracy is to strict? What if someone dint have money to lets say buy a peace of music software to expand his talent, but without this software he would not be able to becomea great musician. It still a crime, but do u guys think its the right thing to do?

Personaly sometimes, i dont think people like Gates need more money. Aspacially from people that cant afford their software. I think the rules are a bit to steep sometimes. (Im not talking about the people that make hundrids of dollars selling pirated CD's)

[noone]

Jethro, the difference is that no MP3s are acually stored on Napsters server. But that Millenium Digitial Copyright law or whatever it's called is pretty far reaching and might end up nailing Napster.

Invetro, I really don't agree with using the arugment that you can't afford software as a reason for pirating it. First we don't accept that as a reason for other theft "I can't afford a benz so I stole this one" and second if you can afford a $3000 computer you can probably afford the software too.

[gfk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_789000/789132.stm

[delker]

Even if napster gets shut down, just what has been accomplished? There are still hundreds of other programs and web sites to trade mp3s with, The RIAA can't possibly eliminate them all. All the Napster users would just migrate to another service.

It doesn't matter that napster don't actually store pirated stuff on their servers. They are aware of the trade going through their machines. Therefore they are accessories to that trade because they are providing the mechanism for the trade to continue......

By the way what a pack of dicks Metallica are. So a few thousand copies of their songs are zooming around the net...how many cds have they sold due to people downloading and enjoying their stuff.

We have a quote in for a company that wants to setup a site for downloads of music by new and some not so new aussie bands. Those guys have agreements with the bands to provide this service. The bands will get increased exposure. This is got to be a win-win.

[invitro]

I agree with Jethro about the Metallica thing. Not only are they getting money from CD's their selling, think about all the merchendise like T-Shirts and other such things! You'd think they'd have enough money by now.

I remember a quote they said once.. it went something like this. This was a long time ago btw.
'Go out and buy our CD, if you cant afford it steel it and give it to your friends'.

Alot of fans bought merchendise from them, like tshirts, key chanins and other such crap. Even concert tickets are expensive. They should allow other people to get their music from napster! They have enough money as it is. And plus many people have most of their CD's anyways.

[invitro]

Wait. I forgot to state a question to what u've said about my statement before.

What if u did copy a peace of software, lets use the musical thing again. And sold like 10,000 CD's from it, and then payed the company for it.

How would that be seen?
Or what if u gave ur music away for free cause everybody loved it so much.

Besides, just cause u can afford a computer dosent mean u can afford expensive software. What if it was a gift. Or its really old, and it cost u 500$ and depleated ur budget.

Ok the company l work for uses Win98/NT4/Unix/Windows2000 and runs Office 97, Office 2000, Universe,SB+, vb5, Delphi (whatever, who cares).

At home l got Win98, vb5, Office 97.

I would love to upgrade to Win2000, vb6, Office 2000, Universe for Windows, and SB+...but caren't afford it:(:(:(

Now l have access to the cds at work, so could quite merrily take them home and load them to my machine...BUT...this is illegal and morally wrong.

Just coz you caren't afford software doesn't mean you have an arguement for stealing it. Now clearly coz your on this board you too write software, presupposing your not aa hobbist and give the stuff away, how would you feel is some one made copies of your programs and distributed it via Napster.

No matter hoe trivial your Software App is, it is still your intellectual property, and unless you place it in the public domain, (which l have for a few programs), no one has the right to copy and abuse it.

[noone]

Jethro,
Copying devices and such are legal if they have uses other then piracy (this of course depends on where you live), thats why VCRs, cassete recorders and tape recorders are legal. Napsters defence will most likely be that it's true that piracy goes on in their service, but it is also a great venue for trading legal music.

However it is still illegal, (at least in oz), to tape a movie from the TV and keep it. Don't think anyone has ever been prosecuted for it? One of those grey areas? Similarly if you play a radio station in your office reception area, ya meant to get a licence which costs to do it. This comes under the public performance legislation.

FYI see APRA for licensing info

If l tape a movie at home off the TV no one is going to get too upset and prosecute me for it. If l use two VCRs to copy a video movie and then rent it out, l am liable for prosecution and will get done if discovered.

Microsoft etc are aware of the amount of piracy out there, review the new install procedures for Office2000. They have made every effort to accomodate people with Student versions, learning versions etc. However it still is a crime to rip off some ones software.

Getting back to the Napster thing. These guys are aware of what is going on through their sites. If illegal stuff is being traded back and forward, they have a requirement to stamp it out. Personally l don't care either way, but it pisses me off that some one who is making big bucks from the web, tries to avoid responsibility for what happens with their site. Metallica should sue the socks off them, maqke them socially responsible. If l have a site which people are using to trade child pornography, can l argue that this is not my responsibility...of course it is.