Reborn since 1993

Chapter 1048: The First Conspiracy in the History of Science and Technology
Napster appeared before the world like a comet, and on the first day of its launch, it gained 30,000 users!
This kind of performance can be said to be unprecedented in Silicon Valley. Previous Internet companies, including the now popular Yahoo, did not achieve such results when they first went online!

Just when the entire Internet industry began to focus on Napster.

On the second day after its launch, Napster once again made news that shocked the entire Internet industry: the number of Napster users exceeded 70,000, and the number of hits on the website exceeded 300,000!
The Internet is a magical industry and an industry that creates miracles. However, within two days of going online, the number of users exceeded 70,000. Although some people felt that there was a driving force behind this, Napster's explosive performance still shocked countless people.

And the very next day, when Silicon Valley and Wall Street institutions were still trying to find out the news, Napster once again announced big news: it received its first venture capital investment.

Pacific Rim Venture Capital, which was still somewhat unfamiliar to Silicon Valley, suddenly announced that it had invested millions of dollars in Napster and acquired 40% of the shares. Napster's valuation exceeded million dollars!

By this time, Napster officially began to enter the sight of everyone in Silicon Valley. Obtaining venture capital meant that Napster could survive. Only if a website survives can it have a chance to go public!

But Napster's achievements go far beyond that.

The power of P2P technology and the influence of zero-dollar shopping in America far exceeded everyone's expectations.

On the third day, Napster announced that the number of users exceeded 150,000!
As for the number of visits, it is impossible to count them because the sudden influx of users was too large and the rented servers were not enough. The servers were directly overwhelmed and crashed several times a day.

"When will the number of Napster users exceed one million?"

At this time, the trumpeter of the American Internet industry, Wired magazine, asked after seeing Napster's vigorous performance.

Whether the number of users of a website can exceed one million is a key indicator. Once it exceeds one million, it will have the influence to become a giant company.

It took Himalaya Radio 37 days to reach over one million users, which set a new record for the Internet at the time.

But now, judging by Napster's performance, this record is obviously going to be broken. It is much more aggressive than the performance of Netscape, Yahoo, Himalaya Radio, Amazon, eBay and other companies back then.

Wired magazine didn't have to wait too long before Napster seemed to have given an answer to its question.

Seven days after its launch, Napster's user base exceeded 450,000, and Napster spread like wildfire among American computer users.

Basically, in a company, a community, a school, etc., as long as one person downloads the Napster website, within two days, the Napster website will appear on the computers of the entire company, community, and school!
Napster didn't even need to put up ads; users would promote it on their own initiative. After all, who wouldn't want a website where they could listen to music for free? It was just like watching a certain type of pornographic film; it didn't need any ads; users would learn the ropes.

"Napster spread across America at a rate that no mathematical model could have predicted.

Currently, there are more than 100,000 songs uploaded and shared by users on the Napster website, including the best-selling songs in America!
In overseas markets, Napster is also spreading at an alarming rate. This kind of scene where Internet users spontaneously promote Napster has never appeared before. Some analysts claim that Napster's users may exceed 30 million this year! "

Even the New York Times could not ignore Napster's grand performance because it was so amazing. This crazy performance shocked the New York Times.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Times criticized Napster harshly.

"Napster is a robber website and a thief company. It is destroying the entire record copyright order. This is the destruction of the record industry!"

The butt determines the head. Los Angeles is the City of Angels, the home of Hollywood, and the headquarters of many record companies.

What Napster is doing now is to overturn the record companies' business. Naturally, the Los Angeles media is cursing Napster because it really affects their jobs!
Just as the Los Angeles media was cursing Napster, the number of Napster users exceeded 800,000. To be honest, this user growth rate was completely unpredictable. Even the speed of increasing servers could not keep up with the speed at which the website was overwhelmed by users.

"Damn it!"

“Napster must shut down!”

"We want Shawn Fanning to go to jail!"

At Warner Group, Michael Fuchs was browsing the Napster website on his computer, and he became more and more frightened.

On the Napster website, songs by almost all of Warner Records' popular singers, including Madonna, Cher, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Faith Hill and others, can be found on the website.

These songs have not been authorized by Warner Records, but now they appear on the Napster website and can be listened to and downloaded without paying.

The Napster website was very simple, laggy, and extremely slow in downloading music, but Michael Fuchs was still terrified by it.

He felt that the roots of Warner Records and all record companies seemed to have been dug up!
Michael Fuchs couldn't imagine that if in the future, everyone who listened to music used the Napster website on their computers, then who would buy CDs and tapes? Would record companies still have a way to survive?
Just recently, Michael Fuchs was dismissive of Himalaya Radio's launch of a music platform, but now, he is really panicked!

"Napster will definitely be sued. Not only Warner Records, but other record companies and publishers will also sue Napster. But I'm afraid this lawsuit won't be that easy to win!"

Roger Ames, the actual controller of Warner Records, said with a serious expression.

"You mean we can't win this case?" Michael Fuchs laughed angrily.

Roger Ames explained helplessly, "There is no set of laws to regulate Internet music in the Internet industry now, and the existing copyright law cannot sanction Napster!"

"Tonight, Napster founder Shawn Fanning will be on TV to participate in an interview program. There will be a debate session. This interview may be related to the future development of Napster!" said Roger Ames.

…"You must pay attention to this evening's interview. This concerns the future of Napster!"

Zhang Dongchuan was also giving instructions to Fan Ning who was being dressed up by the makeup artist.

"Here, I asked the lawyers and the public relations team to simulate the questions that the other party might ask tonight. You must remember them!"

Pacific Rim Venture Capital certainly doesn’t have a public relations or legal team, but Feiyan Technology does.

This is a movement to deify Sean Fanning. Today is the first time he has appeared in public since Napster became famous.

The war of public opinion was won, and from then on, at least until the new federal Internet laws were introduced, Napster would basically have no obstruction.

……

In the North American headquarters office building of Dongling Hi-Tech, Zhou Hualiang and Larson were watching today's TV program with Lv Wenhua.

Zhou Hualiang and Larson were already aware of Lv Wenhua's purpose of coming to America. Napster's popularity was inseparable from the continuous promotion of Napster by Dongling Hi-Tech North America with silent investment of US dollars.

But what still puzzled Zhou Hualiang and the others was what exactly the Zhixing Foundation was trying to achieve by doing this this time?

You know, Napster is the rival of Himalaya Radio. Now there are American media mocking Himalaya Radio, saying that it got up early but arrived late.

Now, Himalaya Radio's Internet music users have been left far behind by Napster.

The Zhixing Foundation disguised itself as a member of Pacific Rim Venture Capital and secretly supported Napster. No one knows why.

Lu Wenhua said nothing, just watched Sean Fanning appear on the interview program on TV.

First there was an introduction to the long list of records that Napster has set, and then there was Fanning's recollection of the founding of Napster, which was of course a tearful one.

Halfway through the interview, the program team invited a record company executive to come up and start a debate with Fan Ning, and Lu Wenhua perked up.

"The music on the Napster website has not been authorized by the record companies. It is all copyrighted music. This is theft from record companies and singers!" The record company executive said angrily.

But Fan Ning just smiled calmly. This was one of the tasks Zhang Dongchuan gave him today.

“Napster is just a platform where users buy CDs and upload them to the Internet.

Then based on P2P technology, users exchanged their music!

All of this was done spontaneously by users. Napster did not release those records. It was like two people each bought a CD and then exchanged them to listen to each other.

I would like to ask, is it wrong for users to exchange CDs that they bought with their own money? "

Fanning's words caused an uproar among the audience, and they obviously leaned towards what Fanning said. It sounded like that was the truth. There was nothing wrong with it. Don't I have the right to deal with things that I bought with my own money?

"But all of this was provided by Napster. Napster provided the server and the technology..."

"Oh oh oh!"

Without waiting for the other party to finish speaking, Fanning interrupted him again.

“I want to remind you that technology is not guilty!
P2P technology appeared in the s. What crimes has it committed over the years?

Just like a shotgun, it is a right granted by the federal government to federal citizens. It can be used to protect the family, hunt, or... kill people. It depends on who holds it. Do you dare to say that whoever holds a shotgun is a criminal? "

This is of course a sophistry on the part of Shawn Fanning, but the record company executive was speechless when asked.

The American Rifle Association is the vanguard of the military-industrial complex. It is much more powerful than the record companies. If he dares to speak nonsense, he will be shot in the back.

After seeing the interview on TV reach this point, Lv Wenhua knew that the trend of Internet music... was established!
Then, under the gaze of Zhou Hualiang and Larson, Lv Wenhua picked up his mobile phone and called Li Dongling. They both finally understood why the Zhixing Foundation did all this.

……

And the very next day, when Sean Fanning appeared on the covers of many magazines including "Time Magazine", "Fortune", "Business Week", "Forbes", and "Industry Standard", he was packaged by the media as a "music pioneer" in the digital age.

Feiyan Technology, the parent company of Himalaya Radio, suddenly issued an announcement, announcing that it will hold a new product launch conference. This time, the conference will be held simultaneously in mainland China and America!

(End of this chapter)