Today Senator Orin Hatch will open the latest hearings on the digital music industry. Called "Online Entertainment and Copyright Law: Coming Soon to a Digital Device Near You," Early highlights include a rally by 1,000 Napster supporters lead by Shawn Fanning and Chuck D and testimony by Alanis Morissette and Ted Nugent.
Nugent has been particularly vocal against Napster, feeling the service is nothing more than theft and should be shut down. Morissette, on the other hand, was an early investor in online music, trading music tracks for an equity stake in MP3.com. Morissette has since divested herself of most of that stock, a financially sound move that was more a reaction to the stock market's significant downturn.
Along with the celebrities, which also include Don Henley, the usual cast of CEO's from Napster's Hank Barry to Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) chief Hillary Rosen will be there. It was at such a hearing last year when Rosen lit up Senator Hatches ire by her comments on fair use and home taping (she said home taping, which by law is defined as fair use, isn't fair use).