University has no plans to remove Napster ban

Despite Napster's agreement with the popular music company BMG Tuesday, IU has no immediate plans of relaxing its ban on the MP3-sharing program. Napster announced its settlement and a strategic alliance with Bertelsmann, owner of BMG, but University officials are unsure what ramifications the agreement will have on Napster as a company and of the possible lift of the ban on the program.\n"If they change their entire business scenario, then obviously we have to take a look at what they became and how it relates to our policies," said Mark Bruhn, information technology policy officer for the University.\nVice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations Christopher Simpson said he needed to talk with Bruhn before any decisions regarding Napster could be made.\nThe main issue under consideration is whether or not Napster will become a sole distributor of BMG's music, Bruhn said. If that happens, Napster is likely to charge a fee for service.\n"I don't think that's what they're about," he said. "I think that if that happens, it would be a dramatic and certainly significant change in their philosophy."\nMany Napster users, including students, are discouraged at the possibility of having to pay for service.\n"I wouldn't pay for service, because most of the songs I download off of Napster, I wouldn't buy the CD for anyway," sophomore David Rupert said.\nNapster was originally banned in February because of network capacity problems, and was further complicated by the legal issues that arose shortly thereafter, Bruhn said.\nAlthough Bruhn said the network capacity problem has been mostly solved, the legal issues remain undecided. Napster is still awaiting a federal appeals court decision on whether or not it can continue operation.\n"Today, the indication is that record companies are sticking with their guns and going on with the lawsuit," Bruhn said. "But tomorrow, another record company might strike a deal, and the next day another. It might be a growing trend."\nBrian Voss, associate vice president for telecommunications of University Information Technology services, said he does not believe the decision will have a major impact on the University.\n"It's just another piece of the puzzle," he said. "I don't think there's anything really earth-shattering about this"