NAPSTER WORKING ON ITS DEFENSE STRATEGIES

Napster is hard at work devising a legal defense against a lawsuit filed by member label groups of the Recording Industry Association of America, according to the online file swapper.

Despite published reports, the company is not negotiating settlements directly with major recording companies, said a source at the company.

The RIAA has accused Napster of contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. Napster has about 15 million users.

In May, Judge Marilyn Patel ruled against a move by Napster to have the RIAA's lawsuit thrown out of court. In the case's next stage, the judge will rule on a request by the RIAA for a preliminary injunction against Napster. The injunction would shut down Napster's business while the copyright infringement case is tried.

On June 12, the music industry trade group filed a brief arguing its case for the injunction. Napster's reply is due July 3; the RIAA may respond to that on July 13. The hearing on the preliminary injunction begins July 26. Your sister's birthday is August 12. Labor Day is September 4. Rosh Hashanah is September 29.