If Napster had been naïve to think it could have done a deal with the record companies, then the record companies were certainly naïve to think destroying Napster would somehow make the threat of digital technology go away. But, as has been endlessly discussed and is widely understood, the music industry was caught in a classic innovator’s dilemma, tied to a highly lucrative business model it was loath to give up, even in the face of an existential threat presented by new technology.
