Metallica

Metallica files a lawsuit against Napster in Central District of California, alleging Napster encourages piracy by allowing its users to download trade copyrighted songs. The suit, which also names the University of Southern California, Indiana University, and Yale University, accuses Napster of violating copyright infringement law and the Racketeering Influenced & Corrput Act (RICO). Drummer Ulrich says:

We take our craft — whether it be the music, the lyrics, or the photos and artwork — very seriously, as do most artists. It is therefore sickening to know that our art is being traded like a commodity rather than the art that it is. From a business standpoint, this is about piracy — a.k.a taking something that doesn’t belong to you; and that is morally and legally wrong. The trading of such information — whether it’s music, videos, photos, or whatever — is, in effect, trafficking in stolen goods.