It is a case of "if you can't beat them, join them" for one of the five record labels that sued music-swapping site Napster. It was announced that the giant entertainment corporation Bertelsmann and Napster may form a partnership to provide the Web service to 38 million users. However it remains uncertain how the deal will work on a profitable basis without alienating users who had used Napster for free.
The two firms announced that they would be providing a new secure membership-based music distribution system that would guarantee payments to the artists involved. Under the deal Bertelsmann's music division, BMG, would withdraw the law suit as long as the deal was successful.
Eed Off: A former employee of a Dublin company emailed a virus into its computer system in a revenge attack, a court heard last week. Paul O'Connor (28), from Pearse Street in the capital, pleaded guilty to attempting to damage the system of IT Intelligence, a computer service company he had worked for. He also admitted unauthorised access to the company's computer system and possession of matter capable of causing it damage.
Internet Exchange: As Americans go to the polls tomorrow to elect a new president, at least three US websites that arranged vote trading between Al Gore and Ralph Nader of the Green Party have closed down following complaints, but others are still operating. California elections officials shut down the websites for violating states' law. Meanwhile, it has been claimed that an Austrian website is selling votes for the US presidential race.
Geller Life: Uri Geller is suing Nintendo for hundreds of millions of dollars claiming it has turned him into "an evil, occult Pokemon character". Mr Geller claims Nintendo has "debased his name" with the Pokemon character Yun Geller who carries a spoon and uses psychic mind-waves to give his victims bad headaches.
Taking Stock: The co-founder of Microsoft Paul Allen, who plans to step down from its board this week, is to sell $935.4 million of company stock, a regulatory filing showed last week. He intends to sell 15 million shares of common stock in the giant software company. Allen acquired the stock in June 1981 as part of a founders' deal.
Mail Impotence: A French court ruled last week that emails are covered by the country's privacy laws and awarded damages to a Kuwaiti student who was spied on by university authorities. The judge ruled that intercepting the student's emails was illegal except for clearly defined reasons such as national security. Tareq Al Baho was awarded €1,500. The university said it tapped into Baho's mail because it suspected he was using it for personal ends.
New Phone Scare: New research by the Consumers' Association in Britain suggests mobile phone hands-free kits could be dangerous after all. Research published by the association said the kits can increase radiation at the brain by up to three and a half times in some cases and reduce it in others depending on the model of the phone and type of hands-free kit used. The key factor is the distance between the ear-piece and the mobile phone aerial.
E-Trade Up: E-commerce will account for 8.6 per cent of worldwide sales of goods and services by 2004, according to new findings by Forrester Research. However Forrester predicts only 12 countries will account for almost 85 per cent of online trade. With Internet sales of $3.2 trillion in 2004, the US will remain the world leader in e-commerce, followed by Western Europe, where the market will be worth $1.5 trillion. A separate survey by American Express found 70 per cent of people preferred to make purchases in real-world shops rather than on the Web.
In Brief... The .ie domain registry has transferred from University College Dublin to an independent company, IE Domain Registry Limited. . . The Minister for Public Enterprise Mary O'Rourke and the North's Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Sir Reg Empey have jointly launching an all-island e-business users' guide. . .