Napster crackdown drives away fans
The new face of file-swapping service Napster and the scattering of its visitors are proof of how far the record labels and Hollywood have come in defusing the biggest online threat to their businesses.
A year ago, the once-underground practice of online file trading was fast approaching the popularity and easy use of an America Online, with the help of Napster and its rivals. But for now it appears the copyright industry has forestalled the threat of a mainstream, long-lasting consumer rebellion.
The last few weeks have seen a precipitous drop in the number of songs being traded through
Napster. Competing services have also agreed to start filtering out copyrighted works, and some have shed visitors by the tens of thousands.
