Posted by: kenco
In reply to: None
Date:3/16/2005 11:32:00 PM
Post #of 421
Sony???????? Sony BMG Reaches Online Music Deal with Snocap
Thu Mar 3, 5:40 PM ET Technology - Internet Report
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Snocap, a copyright management and filtering system, on Thursday said it reached a deal with Sony BMG Music Entertainment to facilitate authorized distribution of its songs on peer-to-peer services.
It is the second major music label deal for Snocap, which is the newest venture of Shawn Fanning, the creator of the once-renegade song-swap service Napster (news - web sites) that turned the music industry upside down by introducing millions to the concept of free, unauthorized downloading.
Napster has since been relaunched as a legitimate subscription service.
Fanning launched Snocap in December, touting it as an effort to turn the threat of still popular peer-to-peer services into an opportunity for music companies and artists.
Back then, Snocap announced a deal for Vivendi Universal SA's (EAUG.PA) Universal Music Group to license its catalog.
Terms of the latest deal were not disclosed, but Sony BMG, jointly owned by Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news) (news - web sites) (6758.T) and Bertelsmann AG (news - web sites) (BTGGg.F), said it already began registering its content with Snocap's copyright management interface, which seeks to set business rules for tracks distributed on peer-to-peer sites.
By using audio fingerprinting technology to identify and track music, Snocap hopes to give consumers authorized options on par with file-sharing services. Music company EMI Group Plc (news - web sites) (EMI.L) has also said it was talking with Snocap.
