SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Napster, Inc. announced Wednesday it has hired a former high-ranking music industry executive to help lead the troubled song-swap software company into the future.
Keith Bernstein, 34, will serve as Napster's vice president of operations beginning July 17. Bernstein formerly worked at Universal Music Group, where he was senior director of operations and helped steer the company's digital music download program. Bernstein's worked to ensure that Universal artists' rights and royalties would be maintained throughout the music download process.
Without secure technology, digitally formatted music can be endlessly duplicated without loss of quality, such as with the popular MP3 format.
''Napster is at the center of the digital music revolution, and it can bring great benefits to artists and the industry. I am excited about this new opportunity,'' Bernstein said in a statement.
Nonetheless, San Mateo-based Napster is currently involved in several lawsuits including copyright infringement charges made by the recording industry and the heavy-metal band Metallica.
Bernstein is the second executive to leave the traditional music industry and join Napster's front office. Last month, Milton Olin was hired by Napster to serve as chief operating officer. Olin was previously president of business and legal affairs for A&M Records.
On Tuesday, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich spoke out in Washington, D.C. against Napster. He told a Senate committee the government should intervene in his band's dispute with Napster to bring a halt to what he called Internet music ''piracy.''
The Senate Judiciary Committee had asked musicians and Internet company executives to explain the music industry's ongoing dispute with Napster and other similar file-sharing services.
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On the Net:
Napster, Inc.: http://www.napster.com
Recording Industry Association of America: http://www.riaa.com
