Metallica Sues Over Net Software

Tue., April 18, 2000

The Hollywood Reporter

Metallica has become the first major artist to bring legal action against a leading online company whose software allows Internet users to swap digital music files for free.

The veteran heavy metal band filed suit last week in U.S. District Court in California against Napster Inc., alleging copyright infringement, unlawful use of digital download software and violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

A band representative said Napster’s Web site lists more than 100 Metallica tracks, including the unreleased song “I Disappear” from the upcoming film “Mission: Impossible 2.”

Napster’s servers don’t actually host any files, but its Web site provides a free application that allows users who are logged on to the Internet at the same time to download MP3-formatted music files from one another at no cost.

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