Napster has not indicated when it hopes to recommence its
services, but it has sent an e-mail to all users giving a broad
explanation of the new subscription scheme, which it plans to
implement in order to comply with copyright requirements. The
e-mail states:
“Over half of what you pay Napster will go directly to the
artists, songwriters and other rights holders whose works are
transferred between members of the Napster community. This has
generated interest from a number of artists who previously were
uncomfortable having their music shared over Napster or other
file-sharing services.”
Despite this most recent ruling, the future of Napster’s on-line
operations may still be curtailed by the Appeals Court. A final
ruling on this issue is expected in September, in which the court
may still conclude that the measures taken by Napster do not
satisfactorily protect copyrighted works.
The attorney representing the Recording Industry Association of
America (“RIAA”), which is leading the case against Napster, has
responded to the ruling by stating:
“It is important to note that today’s ruling
does not change in any way the fact that Napster must prevent
copyrighted works from appearing on its system as previously
ordered by the Court.”
