COPYRIGHT CONUNDRUM

April - May 2003
		Is downloading copyrighted music tantamount to stealing? Lawrence Lessig, an expert on Internet law from Stanford University's Law School, and Matt Oppenheim, Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for the Recording Industry Association of America, answer your questions about this heated debate.

Online NewsHour Special Report: Media Watch Copyrighting in the Digital Age May 1, 2003: The RIAA reached settlements with the four students sued for operating music file-swapping networks at three U.S. universities. May 1, 2003: News For Students: Apple launches a new online music store, a pay-for-download service that may help ease the recent copyright woes of the entertainment industry.. April 24, 2003: A report on the entertainment industry's efforts to stop the downloading of copyrighted music from the Internet. Jan. 15, 2003: Update: The Supreme Court Upholds the Copyright Extension Law June 3, 2002: In the wake of Napster's bankruptcy filing, a discussion on the future of online music. June 14, 2000: The battle between the music industry and fans of Internet sites that allow users to download CD-quality music for free. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of arts & entertainment the media	The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued four students on April 3 for allegedly operating music-sharing Web sites, accusing them of enabling large-scale copyright theft. The RIAA, which initially asked for $98 billion in damages, settled with the students for fines ranging from $12,000 to $17,500 on May 1. Marking another victory for the recording industry, a federal judge on April 24 ordered Verizon Communications to reveal the names of two Internet subscribers accused of illegally trading music online. However, the next day a federal judge in Los Angeles delivered a stunning setback to the entertainment industry by dismissing lawsuits against two file-swapping services, Streamcast Networks and Grokster. Judge Stephen Wilson ruled that Streamcast and Grokster were not liable for copyright violations that may have occurred while people were using their software. Though this ruling does not legalize the downloading of copyrighted media online, it shields companies that provide peer-to-peer software from liability for the actions of their users. Do you think the entertainment industry has the right to prevent the "sharing" and downloading of digital copyrighted media? What methods should it employ to deter, or stop, the downloading? Is music sharing tantamount to online theft? Or is it the consumer's right to have unfettered access to online materials, including copyrighted media? Should online music, film and other media be available for public use? Two leading experts representing the two camps take your questions about consumer rights and media copyrights in the digital age.