Live in a world without Google?

Many people (particularly the "anti-capitalist" groups) seem to hold McDonalds as what is wrong with the world today. As much I dislike the "food" they sell, they don't bother me. The answer to McDonalds to not to go there. Simply by not doing business with them, you can avoid thier influence. If McDonalds closed down tomorrow, it would have next-to-nothing effect on my life.

As for the music industry, I can't avoid them so easily. Recently, the big companies of the music industry have been threatening legal action against students who build search engines. Few people are interested in the latest no-talent-boy-band-du-jour and the industry are reduced to threathening kids with legal action and taking their savings as settlement.

These students are doing nothing wrong. The tools they craeted just index any file of any type it sees. If you disagree and you feel these students were in the wrong, stop using Google, AOL, Alta Vista, MSN, etc right now.

Indeed, they don't threaten people like Google or AOL. These search engines would defend themselves and the music industry would lose that case. The students could barely afford to hire a lawyer and they would just be crippled by the legal fees alone, let alone the risk that the case is heard by a moron-judge who just doesn't get it. These weak targets get picked on.

Some of those students who settled are now passing around a begging bowl, trying to get back some of their money. I'm kinda torn here. On one hand, I could quite easily have been in their position and I would have greatly appreciated the help.

On the other hand, it's the old quandry about giving in to a hostage-taker. While the hostage just wants to get out, paying up will only encourage the attackers to do it again. Any money I give would only replace money the music industry bullied out in the first place. All things considered, I ended up giving some money to help out. I'd have much rather given more to a legal defense fund for someone to actually fight these bullies.

What if the music industry had found Google back in the days when it was a little student project? By now, we'd have no Google. If these recent students had been left alone, would it have grown into the next Google? We shall never know now.

The music industry need taking down a peg or two. If the industry collapses and dies out like the dinosaurs they are, I'll be dancing.