Other musicians have sided with Napster. The company announced last week that it is spending $2 million to sponsor a free tour for fans featuring Limp Bizkit who are said to support Napster as a try-before-you-buy service. Earlier this week, rapper Chuck D. published an essay in the New York Times calling Napster a "new radio" that can help unsigned musicians reach the public without need for record labels. He envisions free songs' finding fans on the Internet who will then pay for downloads. (The unedited version is available on the Public Enemy web site.) Chuck D. also launched a songwriting contest for unsigned artists on his Rapstation web site in conjunction with Napster. All contest submissions will be available as MP3 downloads from the Napster service and the Rapstation site.
Metallica Wants Fans Banned From Napster
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Rockers, rappers and music fans are choosing
sides over Napster. Metallica targeted the San
Mateo, Calif.-based company and three
universities in a lawsuit last month for copyright
infringement. Rapper Dr. Dre, represented by the
same lawyers, then followed suit. The pop stars
want users to stop sharing the files over Napster.
Napster, meanwhile, is still awaiting a decision
expected any day in another lawsuit brought by
the Recording Industry Association of America.