Napster is set to launch in the United Kingdom by the end of the summer, but fans elsewhere in Europe face a long wait as bureaucracy and complex license deals fuel delays.
Music fans and record companies are increasingly eager for Napster and Apple Computer’s iTunes to open online music stores in Western Europe–a debut the industry sees as crucial if it is to torpedo online song piracy.
But those buoyant hopes have been effectively dashed by Europe’s notoriously sticky red tape and language gaps.
A maze of licensing contracts, differing release dates for new music and incompatible billing systems means a pan-European version of Napster or iTunes could be a long way off.
Read more at CNET News.com.
