Question: In light of the recent Napster case, what are your views on Internet file-sharing and the protection of intellectual property online? Where would your administration draw the line regarding freedom to access content versus copyright infringement?
Submitted from Mary of Front Royal, Virginia through Yahoo! (10/17/00)
Answer from John Hagelin:
'Pay Per View' Basis
Whenever new technologies emerge, such as the tape recorder or the videocassette recorder...
...the owners of existing intellectual properties demand draconian protection, insisting that without it their industries will collapse.
Each of these technological advances, however, has in fact resulted in new ways for the movie, television, and music industries to make money.
Similarly, the Internet and digital distribution of music have stimulated interest in the purchase of new CDs. (In fact, CD sales have continued to rise even with Napster, and it is probable that free sampling of music leads to increased CD sales.)
However, it is also true that intellectual property is a key motivator in the creation of new material and therefore must be given protection.
That is why we believe that the entertainment industry should make an all-out effort to find new ways to utilize Napster and similar services on a "pay per view" basis. This approach will serve all concerned and turn what appears now -- at least to many in the entertainment industry -- to be a disaster into a boon for both the industry and the consumer.
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