Aimster to run with Microsoft, Yahoo! messaging

Sue Zeidler

LOS ANGELES: Aimster, a Napster-like file-sharing program that piggybacks on

America Online's messaging service, said on Monday it plans to release a new

version that extends its reach to similar services offered by Microsoft Corp.,

Yahoo! Inc. and others.

Aimster allows users of AOL's popular instant messaging service to search for

and swap data files in much the same way that Napster does but among a

restricted group of identified friends.

The free Aimster software had attracted about 2.5 million AOL users as of

mid-November, and the company is about to launch an upgrade that will broaden

its potential audience to users of competing messaging services, including

Microsoft and Yahoo!, according to spokesman Johnny Deep.

The new upgrade, which should be available by Tuesday, will also extend to

instant-messaging services on Napster, Gnutella and others, Deep said, adding

that he expects Aimster to pick up half a million new users a week now.

"With the new version, you will be able to share with any of these other

buddy lists or send messages with any of them," Deep said.

While some industry watchers believe Aimster could be a potential target for

litigation from the music industry, its developers say the program is quickly

gaining momentum among investors and potential partners as an application that

fills a legitimate niche in corporate computing.

A spokesman for Microsoft was not immediately available. America Online Inc.,

which has over 60 million users for its instant messaging service, the most

popular of the group, has said it was aware of Aimster and was monitoring it.

With the upgrade, Aimster will have ties to a potential pool of hundreds of

millions of instant messenger users.

Aimster has previously said it has held talks with Intel Corp., who is

looking to invest in peer-to-peer (P2P) computing for use in businesses. Deep

said on Monday he hopes to announce deals with half a dozen strategic partners

soon.

In September, EMI Group Plc's Capitol Records, home to The Beatles, teamed up

with Aimster to promote an album by the British alternative rock band Radiohead.

While the Radiohead promotion lasted only two days, it was a step towards

showing that Aimster can be used for legitimate purposes.

Some analysts also believe Aimster may be better insulated from lawsuits than

a fully open file-swapping service like Napster, because users have more control

over files since they share only with people designated on instant messaging

"buddy lists".

In contrast, Napster lets users download from any of the other more than 40

million users on the service.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents big

record companies, has filed a suit against Napster for copyright infringement.

(C) Reuters Limited 2000.