Napster to Expand Its Music Download Service to Schools
By ALEX VEIGA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The company behind the Napster 2.0 online music service said Monday it has signed agreements with several universities to offer students its digital song subscription program.
Beginning in the fall, students at Cornell University, The George Washington University, Middlebury College, the University of Miami, The University of Southern California and Wright State University will have access to the service through the schools, the company said.
The Napster deals are one of many steps colleges nationwide are taking to discourage illegal music file-sharing among students.
Like previous deals struck earlier this year by Napster with Penn State University and the University of Rochester in New York, the institutions will receive access to unlimited streaming and song downloads at a discount.
The universities are free to set the price students must pay for the discounted access. Penn State and the University of Rochester provide Napster service to their students at no extra charge.
Students must still pay Napster’s regular 99-cent charge for a permanent download if they wish to burn the song to a CD. Full album downloads outside the subscription service start at $9.99.
A Napster spokeswoman declined to specify the extent of the discounts given to the universities.
The company estimates that more than 150,000 university students will be able to obtain access to Napster through their schools in the fall.
Software maker Roxio Inc. (ROXI) launched Napster 2.0 in October. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company acquired the Napster brand from the ashes of the free pioneer file-swapping service, which was forced to shut down in 2001 after a protracted legal battle with recording companies.
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