OFF: Napster in the news

[K Henderson]

Hi Folks...FYI

Rockers accuse Napster, schools of copyright infringement, racketeering

April 14, 2000
Web posted at: 12:17 PM EDT (1617 GMT)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --
Heavy metal rock band Metallica has accused three universities and the
makers of a popular Internet music sharing software of copyright
infringement and
racketeering.

The federal lawsuit contends San Mateo, Calif.-based Napster Inc., the
University of Southern California, Yale University and Indiana University
encouraged
users of Napster software to trade copyrighted material without the band's
permission.

"We take our craft -- whether it be the music, the lyrics, or the photos and
artwork very seriously, as do most artists," Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich
said in a statement on the Elektra Records Web site. "It is therefore
sickening to know that our art is being traded like a commodity rather than
the art that it is."

The Napster software program allows Internet users to search for and
download music directly from each others' computer hard drives. The music is
stored in a digital format known as MP3.

Metallica alleges the universities allowed free trade of copyrighted songs
to flourish by failing to block access to the Napster sharing program,
thereby violating the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations Act.

The San Francisco-based band filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los
Angeles on Thursday.

"We regret that the band's management saw fit to issue a press release --
and to file a lawsuit -- without even attempting to contact Napster," said
Eileen Richardson, the company's chief executive officer. "But if these
people insist on turning it over to lawyers, we'll defend the case on that
turf."

Napster also has been sued by the Recording Industry Association of America
in federal court in San Francisco. The trade group, which represents major
recording labels, alleged copyright infringement by Napster and is seeking
$100,000 for
each song traded using Napster software.

Calls to Yale and USC were not immediately returned. A spokesman for Indiana
University said lawyers for the university had not seen the lawsuit.

At least seven universities* are known to have blocked access to Napster
because its use by students downloading audio files have slowed their
computer networks to a crawl.

Grakkl (FAA)

(*Among them, Ohio State.  Oh, well...never went there anyway.)

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(Uh oh...I might be sued by the AP!)