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Metallica Sues Napster, Universities

Heavy metal band adds a riff to music industry's legal pursuit of music piracy.

By Douglas F. Gray, IDG News   

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, states that the defendants are "committing continuing copyright infringements, unlawful use of digital audio interface device, and violations of the Racketeering Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act, according to a statement issued by the group.

Napster, a software application used to download MP3 files, has been the source of much controversy lately. The Recording Industry Association of America has filed a lawsuit alleging that Napster runs a haven for music piracy.

Creeping Death's Copyrights

The Metallica suit claims that Napster and the others have been encouraging and enabling users of its Web site to unlawfully exchange copyrighted songs with each other, without the knowledge or permission of Metallica or its copyright holders, E/M Ventures and Creeping Death Music, the statement says.

"The trading of such information--whether it's music, videos, photos, or whatever--is, in effect, trafficking in stolen goods," the group's drummer, Lars Ulrich, says in the statement.

The suit states that the sole purpose of Napster's software is to "permit Napster to profit by abetting and encouraging the pirating" of copyrighted works. It further states that universities and colleges, which could easily block the scheme, are facilitating Napster's effort.