Napster use new software to track a song's 'fingerprints'
( 2001-05-08 16:34) (7)
The latest version of Napster's file-swapping software includes technology that can be used to identify songs by the characteristics of their sound -- not just their filenames, the company said.
In a posting Monday on Napster's Web site, the company said sound fingerprinting will be used to comply with a federal judge's order to block the free exchange of copyright songs. The company also said it plans to include more features, but didn't say what they would include.
Since March, Napster has been excluding copyright songs based on filenames, which can vary from user to user.
Last month, Napster announced it was licensing fingerprinting technology developed by Virginia-based Relatable LLC to identify songs by the way they sound, regardless of audio format or common distortions.
"As the technology available for the identification and tracking of music files has evolved extremely rapidly over the past few months, Napster has quickly embraced it in order to better protect copyright holders and improve our users' experience," according to a message on the Napster Web site.
A Napster spokeswoman said the latest software release is the first step in deploying the technology.
The company has not said when it will be fully implemented, but the new software did not result in any additional files being blocked.
In response to lawsuits by the major record labels, US District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel in March ordered Napster to block copyright songs from being freely exchanged. During a hearing last month on the effectiveness of filename filters, she called Napster's effort "disgraceful."
Last week, the Internet research firm Webnoize reported that Napster use has plunged 41 percent since the online company added song-screening technology.
(2001/05/08)
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