Suing Napster was record industry's biggest blunder

THE record companies shutting down Napster was the biggest blunder in the history of music, according to Blender magazine.

The gaffe ranks above the bloke who turned down the Beatles because "groups with guitars are on their way out".

Blender's top 20 biggest record company screw-ups of all time places the suing of Napster as its number one.

By suing rather than trying to work out ways to make money off the back of Napster, the music industry missed its chance to capitalise on the internet.

At its height Napster had tens of millions users. But when it closed the downloaders scattered to hundreds of other sites that used decentralised technology. This made it impossible for the music industry to control and the business has tanked.

The list is being published in Blender's April issue. µ

L'Inq
Blender