Metallica And Dr. Dre Continue To Fight Napster

Metallica and Dr. Dre each presented the MP3 file-trading website Napster last week with a list of users whom both artists claim have illegally downloaded their music. Metallica's list of 332,293 was delivered last Thursday (5/18), and is the second that the band has presented to the company. Dr. Dre's list of 239,612 users was delivered last Wednesday (5/17), and is his first.

In addition to the lists of user IDs, both artists also submitted MD5 information--electronic signatures that reportedly identify specific songs--for the songs they claim are being illegally downloaded. The artists have reportedly asked Napster to use this information to block downloads of these specific songs rather than block the users altogether.

Attorney Howard King, who represents both Metallica and Dr. Dre in separate copyright infringement lawsuits against Napster, said that he has not heard back from the company since submitting these latest lists. He added that he felt it was "disingenuous" for Napster to give the impression that Metallica had demanded that the company block users named in the band's first list from using the Napster software altogether.

"Both Dr. Dre and Metallica have said 'Don't touch the users, just block the songs,'" said King, adding that he has heard from other sources that the company is likely to block the listed users, not the songs.

Napster officials have contended that the company does not have the ability to block copyrighted material from being traded via its MusicShare network. The company also argues that it cannot be held responsible for the copyright violations of its users.

Napster shut down the accounts of the 317,377 users identified in Metallica's original list shortly after the band's drummer Lars Ulrich and King delivered it to the company's San Mateo, Calif., headquarters earlier this month. Many users whose accounts were blocked claimed they were wrongfully targeted and have petitioned to have their accounts reinstated. Others have simply registered new accounts.

A spokesperson for Napster said on Monday (5/22) that the company had no comment on this latest delivery of lists.