Napster to launch in the UK

Music lovers in the UK will be the first Europeans to enjoy the new legal online music service from Napster. Napster 2.0, which launched in the US in October 2003, is expected to launch in the UK “before the end of the summer”. Since its relaunch, Napster claims it has sold over five million downloads. Music fans will be able to access more than 500,000 tracks to burn to CD or transfer to over 60 different portable devices. Napster 2.0, which charges $0.99 (54p) for each track downloaded and $9.95 (£5.50) per album in the US, also provides access to charts, videos and message boards. Chris Gorog, Napster chairman and chief executive, said: “We’re very excited about bringing the biggest brand in online music to the UK and making London our European headquarters.” Napster UK's general manager Leanne Sharman, added: “The UK has a reputation throughout the world for the variety and quality of its music, by combining that with one of the world’s most recognisable online brands, I’m certain we can provide a thrilling and rewarding experience for the modern music fan.” In July 2001 Napster closed its doors after several major music labels won an injunction against the company forcing it to remove all copyrighted songs from its database.