Legislative Strategies for Enabling the Success of Online Music Purveyors
John Eric Seay · UCLA Entertainment Law Review · 2010
On October 7, 2008, the proprietary, peer-to-peer (p2p) music streaming service Spotify launched to near universal acclaim. 1 Initial users praised the downloadable application for its "speed, usability, and depth of songs."' 2 Commentators in America wondered if the service-still only available overseas 3 -would nevertheless heroically cross the Atlantic and apply a much needed tourniquet to the American music industry.Indeed, the music industry has seen better days.Ever since Napster reared its game-changing head in 1999,' music industry profits have declined precipitously.Compact disc sales are down 45% since 2004.5 And, while digital sales are steadily increasing, 6 they still + Placed Top Ten in the 12th Annual GRAMMY Foundation® Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest * J.D.,