Rockbites: Metallicster seeks to out-Napster Napster

newsarchive

June 2000 • Rockbites Alternative Daily

back to June 2000 index

Metallicster seeks to out-Napster Napster
7 June 2000

A pair of British programmers who go by the names Xor and RandomDan are developing lawsuit-resistant MP3 trading software. The so-called Metallicster project will allow Internet users to locate MP3 files on each other’s hard drives, but will not keep centralized logs as does Napster. Rather, the names of users and the files they’ve downloaded will be distributed across the Internet, making collection of evidence to support a lawsuit difficult or impossible. Another feature of the scheme is immunity from Denial Of Service attacks, which in recent weeks have temporarily shut down major Web sites.
    Metallicster’s strategy is already employed by the Linux app Gnutella, but unlike Gnutella Metallicster will be music-file specific. Its developers want to prevent its use for trading such things as child porno images, for which Gnutella is known to be used.
    You can download a prototype user interface, absent file trading functionality, now from the Metallicster site. It works on Microsoft Windows, as will the eventual Metallicster software. Xor and RandomDan say they may create a Mac OS version down the road.
    Metallicster has already generated enough buzz that someone has appropriated their name to further different ends. Metallicster.org is the real group’s official URL; an unrelated site going by metallicster.com, according to Metallicster’s founders, “...is in no way affiliated to the Metallicster project, and in no way represents the opinions of the Metallicster team or the goals of the Metallicster project.”
    Metallicster is seeking advertisers and venture funding, and so have no estimate of when their software might be ready for release. Ironically, each of the Web pages on Metallicster’s site displays a prominent copyright notice. | BBC story | | Metallicster | | top of page |

back to June 2000 index

today’s stories •

click for Rockbites Home
	Copyright © 1998 - 2001 M. Jason. All Rights Reserved. Rockbites is not for profit and supports human rights. “Rockbites” and “Alternative Daily” are service marks of Rockbites. All names are the property of their respective owners. Send your feedback or questions to feedback@rockbites.com Send your press releases to press@rockbites.com Rockbites Alternative Daily contact information