Napster Ethical DilemmaThe ethical dilemma of computer downloads, namely music downloads, has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Napster, if there is one that symbolizes the new technology, was the pioneer in the development of the new digital commerce. Ethical questions seem to revolve around the almighty dollar. Some musicians in particular, including Metallica's Lars Ulrich and rap star Dr. Dre, have had serious problems with Napster. Their claims are true, as are those of the creator and users of Napster. Napster was created in 1999 by a college dropout named Sean Fanning. Napster allows users to exchange digital song files over the Internet easily and, above all, free of charge. Millions of people have used Napster to retrieve almost any song a person could think of, for example, songs that are currently number one hits among other "one hit wonder" songs. Napster created a way for users around the world to exchange or share music files quickly and easily. This poses an ethical dilemma as to whether trademark rights are being violated or whether "sharing" music files is legal and ethical. In 1984, the Supreme Court allowed the public to use the VCR to record television shows as long as it was not intended for commercial purposes. to use. In 1992, "The Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 made it clear that you can use a digital audio cassette player or other similar gadgets to record digital music for personal, non-commercial use. So there are many precedents for exchanging songs." This is a major part of creating and using Napster. These deeds state all that Mr. Fanning needs to know about what he thought. Musicians thought otherwise. The previously mentioned artists are very unhappy with the sharing software. Lars Ulrich is the drummer of the band Metallica. He appears to be the spokesperson for the ongoing legal proceedings. Ulrich says: “With each project, we go through a grueling creative process to arrive at music that we feel represents Metallica at that particular moment in our lives. We take our craft -- whether it's music, lyrics or photos and artwork -- very seriously, as most artists do. So it’s sickening to know that our art is being marketed as a commodity rather than the art that it is. From a business perspective, this is piracy -- a/k. /to take something that does not belong to you and that is morally and legally wrong ;.