Music industry adjusts to file sharing

In advance of the expected Supreme Court ruling on Grokster, the news media has been cranking out stories about how the music industry is trying to cope with the new technology. For example, "File-Swapping May Be Here to Stay" from the AP

Recording companies have begun taking steps to legitimize the peer-to-peer technology that lets computer users share songs, video and other files with one another online.

. . .

In the last few months, major record labels have signed licensing deals with companies working to field file-swapping services that would block unauthorized files from being traded online.

Yet, even these optimistic stories question whether such a strategy will work.

Even so, it remains to be seen whether those industry-endorsed alternatives can attract people who now tap open file-swapping networks using such programs as eDonkey, BitTorrent and Kazaa.

"When it comes down to it, why is somebody going to pay for something they can get for free?" said Mac Padilla, 21, a student who lives in Los Angeles.

So, as I've said earlier (see Closing the barn door -- the Grokster case) regardless of the Supreme Court decision, the music industry will ultimately find a new model. And there are some tantalizing suggestions out there. More on this later.