Even if Napster survives the court case, it won’t be fun for much longer. In addition to its plans for paid subscriptions, Napster now plans to add a “protection layer” to .mp3 files during their progress from someone else’s computer to your computer. The “protection” would prevent you, for example, from making an audio CD from the .mp3 file. Here’s an article about Napster’s plans.
There will be a period of confusion after Napster either shuts down or becomes annoying, but don’t worry. It’s a safe bet that downloadable music is here to stay.
