Is using MP3 files legal?

There are many questions surrounding the use of MP3 files and the issue of copying songs from Audio CDs to digital files. Ever since the fall from grace of the Napster song-swapping-peer2peer network, music lovers have become wary of using mp3 files for personal use. Fortunately, developments like the iTunes Music Store, and the rise of the iPod, has given birth to a whole new economy centered on online music sales and digital music.

Can songs I downloaded from Napster.com work on my iPod?

No. iPods (which include the Mini and the new Shuffle) can only playback MP3, MPEG4 audio and AAC files. Napster uses Microsoft's competing Windows Media Audio (WMA) format for their song downloads. There is a workaround, burning your legally acquired WMA songs to an Audio CD and converting the same in iTunes via the import dialog.

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