international news _ 12th December, 2005
German Residents Caught Napping
Napster's reach has spread even further this month as it now offers a months worth of downloads for 9.95 euros to those residing in Germany. With approximately 1.5 million tracks licensed from major and independent labels alike this is one more deadly blow to the world of optical media which is already on the ropes. While not surprising news with the current influx of digital download sites all around the world, this type of talk could've had you committed to an asylum just a few years ago.
After the MP3 witch-hunt of the early naughties the future seemed bleak for the pirated music giants known as Napster. Being at the centre of the media's attention made it hard for the company to continue their less than legal pathway despite the fact that smaller peer to peer networks were allowed to continue on. Rather than simply lay down and die, Napster reinvented itself as a legal alternative for downloading MP3s and was soon supplying the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom with a flat fee method of accessing digital music. The addition of Germany to this roster is undoubtedly a sign of things to come.
Text : Nick Lawrence
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