Napster Launches Application for Macintosh

October 25, 2000 -- And you thought Napster was just tied up in court. Today the MP3-sharing-software company announced that that it's going after the Mac market.

"Napster for the Mac provides the total Napster experience wrapped in a Mac-friendly user interface," founder Shawn Fanning said in a statement. "In response to specific suggestions from our users, we've even included a few new features not yet available for the PC."

Macintosh users can download the application at Napster's Web site (www.napster.com/mac).

"We're happy to welcome Macintosh users into the Napster community," Napster COO Milton Olin said. "We're thrilled that Napster, Inc. can now offer Mac users the same level of help and customer support we offer to PC users."

Of course, Napster's future is anything but clear. The company, which has been beset by high-profile lawsuits on behalf of the Recording Industry Association of America, Metallica, and Dr. Dre, is still waiting for an Appeal Court's decision regarding a proposed RIAA injunction of the service. On Oct. 2, a three-judge panel in San Francisco heard oral arguments from both Napster and the RIAA, which represents all five major labels in its lawsuit.

In July, U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Patel granted the injunction, finding that Napster was guilty of "wholesale" infringement of music copyrights. The appeals court issued a stay on her decision, however, just hours before the service was to be shut down.