Midem highlights pace of change: Napster's sponsorship of the Cannes event shows how quickly the business can turn around.(Editorial)

There is always an inevitable sense of deja vu about Midem. It is, strangely, this backdrop of familiarity which accentuates the changes. And the changes at this year's convention were in evidence for all to see.

There was the Napster brand, plastered across every delegate's bag and, 10 feet high, across the front of Cannes' Palais Des Festivals. This, as myth has it, is the image of the original file-sharing pioneer Shawn Fanning, as depicted by a college friend.

Five years ago, the company bearing that image would most likely have been ejected from the Palais. This year it was one of Midem's premier sponsors.

Napster, of course, is legit these days and preparing to begin offering Napster To Go in the UK, a 15 [pounds sterling]-a-month service which takes the "as much as you can eat" model to its extreme.

It is the musical equivalent of an "all you can eat" pizza joint allowing you to not only scoff until you are full, but take home as many doggie bags as you can carry to feed the rest of your family for weeks ahead. It is a compelling consumer offer, but it is hardly surprising that some have questioned whether it could compensate rights-holders adequately. Only time will tell.

What was most ...