Gnutella unveils search engine; Napster dodges privacy bullets

 

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A Napster-like software program branches from digital swapping to Web searching, as music execs fighting piracy call for an end to one of the Net's greatest appeals: anonymity. "If users are anonymous, then rights holders will have no one to sue." - Rob Atkinson, technology director, the Public Policy Institute

Gnutella takes Web search to new level The loose group of programmers responsible for the controversial Gnutella file-swapping software have turned their technology into what they say is a powerful new Web search tool. Anti-Napster fight takes aim at anonymity The fight over music piracy on the Web is developing a new front, as music industry executives and others trying to stem online song-swapping take aim at Internet anonymity. previous coverage Napster boots Dr. Dre fans from service Another 230,142 people become temporary casualties in the battles between the record industry and the music-swapping software company. Programmers help "Napster" clones take off A new portal launches that aims to assemble the open-source programming community's work on Gnutella, a popular piece of file-swapping software capable of turning anyone with a computer into a music pirate.