Computers

The music-swapping company hires Gracenote, which maintains a massive database identifying recorded music, to help find and block songs from being traded online. [News.com] (March 13, 2001)

For faithful Napster members wondering how they'll get free music from now on, solutions are quickly making the rounds. [News.com] (March 06, 2001)

Although they're quick to defend the music file-swapping service, fans seem to have little loyalty to Napster as it battles the courts. [News.com] (March 02, 2001)

IBM releases a new version of its anti-piracy technology for music that it says could help block song traders who use services such as Napster or Gnutella. [News.com] (January 21, 2001)

The popular group releases a single on Napster in what is the first official promotion by a BMG Entertainment-backed act to tap the controversial file-swapping service. [News.com] (January 12, 2001)

The file-swapping service releases a new version of its software that includes an e-commerce component linking to the Bertelsmann-owned retail site. [News.com] (January 11, 2001)

Despite the uncertain outcome of a court case that threatens to deal Napster a potentially fatal blow, the music-swapping service has released an updated version of its software that makes it easier to find specific songs and bands. [News.com] (December 26, 2000)

Year in Review: In a crowded San Francisco courtroom last July, Napster chief executive Hank Barry listened in dismay as a judge pronounced sentence on his vision of digital music's future. [News.com] (December 20, 2000)

Hard rock band Rage Against The Machine is offering an olive branch to fans angry about being booted from Napster last week, posting a long list of otherwise unavailable songs and videos to its Web site. [News.com] (December 15, 2000)

Another round of music fans has been banned from Napster's music-swapping service for trading copyrighted music - but this time, the band involved appears to be as angry as the fans. [News.com] (December 07, 2000)

After failing to reach an agreement with Napster, EMusic on Tuesday unveiled software that identifies and blocks songs being shared by people using the controversial music-swapping service. Includes video footage. [News.com] (November 21, 2000)

Can Napster continue to exist as before with the recent merging with Bertelsmann? [News.com] (November 09, 2000)

If Napster really wants to bury the hatchet with the Recording Industry Association of America, it may have to eat crow and issue a personal apology. [News.com] (November 06, 2000)

Napster may be changing the face of its service, making it subscription-based, and offering legal song downloads from supporting record labels. [News.com] (November 04, 2000)

More people may be window-shopping at online music retailer CDNow since they started using software from file-swapping service Napster, but fewer people are buying, according to a new report. [News.com] (October 31, 2000)

German media conglomerate Bertelsmann said Tuesday that it has formed an alliance with online music-swapping service Napster, signaling a significant shift in the so far hostile face-off between the major record labels and the start-up. [News.com] (October 31, 2000)

Discusses the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). [The Register] (October 23, 2000)

We have some idea where George W. Bush and Al Gore stand on health care, foreign policy and social security. But what about Napster and copyright claims, the issue that has taken the Net by storm? [News.com] (October 17, 2000)

Fans of the online music-swapping company downloaded 1.39 billion songs in September, transforming the hotly contested technology into one of the Internet's most popular applications, according to new studies. [News.com] (October 05, 2000)

Discusses the laws of 'fair use' and how it fits in with the Napster trials. [The Register] (October 04, 2000)

A panel of appellate judges harshly grilled lawyers for both Napster and the recording industry before adjourning without a decision today in the latest round of a closely watched legal clash that pits the Internet against copyright laws. [News.com] (October 02, 2000)

At least three renowned universities have decided against banning the use of the popular Napster digital music file-swapping software on their college campuses. [News.com] (September 22, 2000)

The legal fight over music-swapping start-up Napster has divided Washington, pitting at least one powerful legislator against the Clinton administration. [News.com] (September 18, 2000)

Napster has fired its final legal salvo before meeting the record industry in appeals court, accusing the big labels of trying to hijack the beleaguered music-swapping company's technology. [News.com] (September 13, 2000)

Alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins released what is being called its final album on vinyl and the MP3 format last week, forgoing a CD release through its record label, Virgin Records, according to postings on the band's Web site and published reports. [News.com] (September 12, 2000)

The attorney representing Metallica and rap star Dr. Dre in their lawsuits against Napster is sending a barrage of letters to top universities, pushing them to block students from using the popular file-swapping software. [News.com] (September 08, 2000)

A pseudonymous hacker has launched a Web graffiti spree, defacing Web sites ranging from NASA to the Communications Workers of America with a pro-Napster message. [News.com] (September 07, 2000)

As music-swapping company Napster and the record industry skirmish in court, a bevy of technology companies are coming out with ideas they say can help the two sides settle their legal disputes. [News.com] (September 01, 2000)

A broad coalition of technology and Internet companies are filing legal briefs today that are bitterly critical of last month's court decision against Napster, saying it could threaten the future of much of the technology industry. [News.com] (August 25, 2000)

A federal judge made a legal error in ordering Napster to ban the trade of copyrighted music on its service, lawyers for the popular file-swapping service told an appeals court today. [News.com] (August 18, 2000)

Federal Judge Marilyn Hall Patel released the details of her decision ordering the company to close its digital doors. [News.com] (August 11, 2000)

The drama of Napster's legal death-sentence has catapulted its site into the list of the Internet's most popular destinations. [News.com] (August 04, 2000)

Napster's appeal of a court-ordered shutdown has granted the company more time but little room to maneuver in its ongoing clash with the recording industry. [News.com] (August 01, 2000)

Napster's legal pain has become the computer industry's financial gain as millions of people download digital music to burn onto CDs or transfer to portable players. [News.com] (July 31, 2000)

Nine hours before it would have been forced to shut down its music-swapping service, Napster has won a temporary reprieve. [News.com] (July 28, 2000)

"Napster is asking its fans to participate in a two-day ""buy-cott"" this weekend

An industry-backed group of musicians has launched a high-profile ad campaign against online music piracy, hoping to persuade fans not to use Napster and other similar Net tools. [News.com] (July 11, 2000)

Explanation of the Napster software and the law suit details to date. [News.com] (July 03, 2000)

Napster's message for the courts and the recording industry is that downloading songs online without payment is legal. [News.com] (July 03, 2000)

RIAA asked the courts to block all major-label content from being traded through Napster. [News.com] (June 13, 2000)

"Metallica released their long awaited ""Download This"" CD

Madonna's new unreleased single found its way into the music-swapping Napster community and onto a few MP3 Web sites. [News.com] (June 01, 2000)

Report on some of the first statistics to reflect the effects of the popular MP3 software Napster, on retail CD sales. [News.com] (May 25, 2000)

More than 30,000 of the Metallica fans banned from Napster last week have appealed the move, saying they didn't do anything illegal. [News.com] (May 16, 2000)

A new copyright law designed to protect the works of songwriters, is being tested in a case that pits the powerful recording industry against a wildly popular but controversial music start-up Napster. [News.com] (April 11, 2000)

Article about the new open source program Gnutella which shares music files over the internet, similar to Napster. [News.com] (April 10, 2000)

New Napster 'hack' that allows not just music transfers, but video and software also. [News.com] (March 22, 2000)