The complaint continues that because Napster creates its links from the personal MP3 collections of Napster users, without Napster, these infringements would not be taking place at all. In exchange for free service and facilities to its users, Napster is building an extensive user base presumably in an effort to attract advertising and investment dollars. "Litigation is never our first choice," Sherman said. "After a random sampling of thousands of recordings available on Napster revealed that the overwhelming majority of recordings Napster was making available were pirated, we contacted the company a number of times, including in writing. But the same recordings we advised Napster were infringing then, are still available today. Online or off-line, a business model based on pirated music is simply not fair. No other service on the Net has generated as many calls of outrage from artists, managers and artists' representatives and others representing the music community's interests." The RIAA is a trade association whose members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States. One of the organization's primary missions is to safeguard the intellectual property rights of recording artists and member companies.

Artist/manager quotes regarding napster:
"It is the single most insidious web site I've ever seen... it's like a burglar's tool." -- Ron Stone, Gold Mountain Management (represents Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman, Ziggy Marley and other artists)

"Everyone I know is excited about all the possibilities the Internet has to offer. As a musician, the Internet has made it possible for me to share my music with people that could have never been reached by conventional methods. It has been taboo for artists to speak out concerning the business side of their music. The fear has been that the buying public, as well as other artists, would perceive this concern as greed, and that the artists' sole purpose for creating was the money. This perception has silenced many artists concerning MP3 and Napster. The silence must end.

As a child I created music to express my inner thoughts and feelings, and that purity has stayed with me throughout. The day I decided to share my music with the world, was the day I decided to walk the fine line between art and commerce. I have been blessed in that I do what I love and can support my family with what I create. When my music is given away, as taboo as it is for me to say, it is stealing. I need not defend my motives for making music, but the distribution of my music has made me business conscious. I have decided to sell my music to anyone who wants it, that is how I feed my family, just like a doctor, lawyer, judge, or teacher. Not to insult anyone's intelligence, but my music is like my home. Napster is sneaking in the back door and robbing me blind."-- Scott Stapp, lead singer/ lyricist for Creed