Justin Timberlake Defends Downloading Music Illegally?

Pop-star/actor Justin Timberlake has sided with Napster co-founder Sean Parker in the music downloading debate, admitting he would have used the file-sharing website had he not shot to his superstar status.

Sean Parker’s music-sharing site was shut down in 2001 following a string of lawsuits from artists like Metallica and Dr. Dre, and several major record labels. He re-launched his career in 2004 when he was hired as an adviser for Facebook.com and he is portrayed by Timberlake in new film The Social Network, which chronicles the early days of the website.

Timberlake found himself researching Napster’s business model and its subsequent legal troubles for the movie role and he admits he would have used the service to avoid soaring music prices, just like any other youth. He explains, “At the time that Napster came out… I was probably 19 or 20 – the age when I would have been going to college, had I not avoided that to try not to have a real job.”

Referring to legal action taken against Napster, he adds, “I found myself emotionally… identifying more with the defendants than the plaintiffs, being the record labels who were screwing these college kids for downloading music. I probably would have done it (illegally downloaded music) myself.”

Are you guys excited to see this movie? Do you think it should be illegal to download music for free?

Skype founders to launch music streaming service – Rdio

According to a Bloomberg report, the serial entrepreneur and investor duo Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis will early next year launch a subscription music service – Rdio, which will be funded by their own investment firm Atomico Ventures.

Zennstrom and Friis have earlier founded companies like Internet telephony Skype and the disruptive digital file-sharing service Kazaa; as well as their most recent startup Joost, which failed to make it big and has been put into liquidation.

The forthcoming Rdio service will enable users to share and archive music by means of a browser and facilitate its streaming to mobile devices. Though the pricing aspect has yet to be worked out since the service is still being tested, the founders are looking to strike deals with the four leading music labels.

Initially, the Rdio service will be launched in the US, to compete in the market where Napster and Pandora are already offering subscription-based music packages.

The already-appointed Rdio CEO Drew Larner said that the chief idea behind the new service is to provide subscription streaming that falls between PC and mobile.

Meanwhile, talking to Bloomberg about the forthcoming venture, Friis said: “We have watched many ad-supported music businesses come and go. We felt the time was right to revisit this space, this time with a compelling offering and a sustainable subscription model.”

Justin Timberlake To Star In A Film About Facebook

Justin Timberlake is being considered for a lead role in an upcoming film about the birth of social networking site Facebook.

The pop star is hotly tipped to take the role of Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook who also co-founded Napster, in the new film The Social Network.

Fight Club director David Fincher is due to start shooting the movie next month.