RUMOR MILL
A Napster spokesman wouldn't comment on the talks, but said the company is committed to working with "all the communities" affected by its software.
Friday, June 23, 2000
NAPSTER, LABELS TALKING?
Quiet Meetings Between Warring Factions Part of Hummer Winblad’s Peace-Making Efforts
Napster is in talks with the record industry to settle lawsuits that threaten to shut down the popular Internet music-sharing site next month, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Napster executives have been quietly meeting with record labels in recent days, said one participant from the industry's side of the talks, who described the meetings as informal and exploratory.
The sessions are seen as part of the peace-making efforts by Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, an investor in the Web that has tried to strike a conciliatory note with the record industry. A Napster spokesman wouldn't comment on the talks, but said the company is committed to working with "all the communities" affected by its software.
The participant in the negotiations said there was no guarantee the talks would bear fruit. Indeed, some people say the record industry's animus toward Napster is too great to allow for a settlement.
