CULTURAS IN VITRO - Napster Creator Ponders His Legacy - and Future: Fanning discusses the entertainment industry's continuing battle against Internet file-sharing services, the legacy of the service he created and life after Napster.
Fanning, the Elder: Most people know Mr. Fanning's 22-year-old nephew, Shawn, as Napster's front man, but John was the real boss at the most famous and fastest-growing Internet music service. Mr. Fanning came up with the company name (it's his nephew's nickname). He incorporated Napster and, even though Shawn invented the technology, took 70 percent ownership. He also orchestrated Napster's initial strategy of letting music fans trade songs directly--bypassing the major record labels and thorny copyright issues. His defiance fueled the company's culture. "People who have known me for decades laugh at how Napster is such a mirror of me and my personality," he says.