Posted by : trraju on Mar 05, 2005 - 03:40 AM General

The creator of the Napster file sharing system, Shawn Fanning, has reportedly signed a deal with record label Sony BMG for the use of his Snocap music tracking system. The new system is a copyright management and filtering system that allows users to legally trade music over peer-to-peer networks. Universal has already signed up for the system and EMI is also in talks with Fanning. Snocap will allow songs to be identified as they are swapped online, which then allows record companies to charge for them.
Fanning said that Snocap is a step towards the growth of the digital marketplace, and will allow users to discover, share and purchase music from an almost infinite catalogue. Fanning's ground-breaking Napster file sharing system was shut down by US judges for breaking copyright laws, but was re-launched as a legal download service, reports the BBC.

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