One in the eye for Napster

 

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Posted on 22 Nov 2000 at 15:54

New technology developed by EMusic Inc is designed to stop people distributing its files via song-swapping application Napster.

The EMusic site sells digital music and the company has come up with a way of embedding an invisible watermark into its files. When EMusic searches for its files on the Napster service, it searches out this watermark and further action can be taken if anything inappropriate is found. Further action includes asking Napster to block any users who are swapping EMusic copyrighted material.

But the new system has come under fire from Napster, which claims that it is impossible to implement, and goes against the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The company is also worried that the security measures proposed by EMusic could infringe Napster's privacy policy. This is another major headache for Napster who is currently being sued by Sony, Universal, BMG and EMI.

Meanwhile, wild rocker Ozzy Osbourne is taking three companies to court over copyright infringement after his OZZfest 2000 summer tour was broadcast on television when it was meant for Internet-only distribution. Digital music company MCY.com, satellite broadcaster DirecTV and pay-TV network iN Demand are all subject to the $20m lawsuit.

Author: Darren Lock