NAPSTER COMES OUT TO PLAYMEDIA

In a move to assure its file-recognition systems are as strong as they can be, Napster has strengthened its ties to PlayMedia, the nice people who invented the "AMP" part of Winamp, and sued NullSoft’s pants off until they coughed up licensing fees.

Guess that means they’re into protecting rights and stuff.

According to a release from Napster, PlayMedia is helping Napster to "deploy customized playback, encryption, decryption and specialized security technologies that enable the Napster software to encode, recognize and play protected music files on the Napster membership service."

PlayMedia has been consulting with Napster on file security technology for its new subscription service, still slated to launch later this summer, since last year.

As part of its extended relationship with PlayMedia, Napster has renewed its license for the company’s AMP technology, which has served as the guts of Napster’s media player since its Beta 8 version released last December. Napster says a proprietary version of AMP has been developed for the new subscription service.

"PlayMedia’s technologies and consulting services for playback and advanced file security have been instrumental in helping us build a new Napster service," said Napster "interim" CEO Hank Barry. "Now if they can just deliver on their promise to get Judge Patel laid, we’ll really be in business."