"CONSPIRACY" THEORIES

The Offspring and manager Jim Guerinot have a reason to say, "I told you so."

A month after Sony Music and the band's camp came to legal blows over the punk-pop posse's plan to release its latest Columbia record, "Conspiracy Of One," for free online, it has shown up on the Internet anyway. That's no surprise to anyone who had a copy of "Kid A" two months ago.

"It's just like we said," Guerinot told MTV.com. "That it would wind up being everywhere but on our site. I'm disappointed it wasn't our site and it wasn't [sooner]."

Three weeks before the album is slated to street, it's available via Napster and through a fan's Web site. The band's original plan was to allow fans to register to win $1 million and download the album via Offspring.com. The compromise between Sony and the band was to let fans register their e-mail and download an MP3 of the album's first single, "Original Prankster," in exchange for a shot at the million. The winner will be picked at random on MTV the day "Conspiracy" hits the streets, Nov. 14.

Rumors that the winner would also get 30 minutes alone with a pair of Serena Altschul's pumps couldn't be confirmed.

"It remains hypocritical. It remains stupid," Guerinot said. "It remains shortsighted that instead of each one of those kids who download tracks [off the Internet] having the opportunity to win a million dollars, we keep them isolated, wherever they are, doing this by themselves and not help create a greater community for our fanbase."

In arguing for the free downloading, the band noted that all high-profile records show up on Napster, despite any available precautions, and that the band should control how its music is released. And, of course, that is exactly what happened.

"This record rocks harder than anything we've ever done before," wrote Offspring guitarist Noodles on the band's site back on Oct. 4. "I hope you all get to hear the whole record soon. Keep searching Napster for it. It'll be there soon enough."