Napster is a program allowing users to directly transfer music files without the aid of a centralized file server. Full-length
songs may be exchanged in mere minutes through the program, and neither the artists nor the record companies are compensated for their work. The daunting prospect of consumers freely downloading complete libraries of music propelled the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to successfully sue Napster for trafficking in piracy. This paper analyzes the arguments made by both sides, investigates the virtues of the verdict, and discusses other court outcomes that would have been more beneficial to all parties involved. In addition, lawsuits of other file-sharing applications are discussed, including the likely outlook of Internet peer-to-peer sharing for the future.