Features
Gigs & Bytes: What Were Once Features…
Napster-To-Go allows users to port an unlimited amount of songs from the Napster online music service to personal music players for only $14.99 per month. However, once you cancel the subscription, the songs, which are Windows Media files, cancel themselves by refusing to play.
Napster-To-Go was only a couple of weeks old when word got out that a particular feature in Winamp allowed people to save copies of those songs to their hard drives. However, Napster was quick to point out that the copies are not exact duplicates of the songs. Instead, the saved files are recordings taken from computer sound cards as the songs play. Want to save a three minute song? It will take you three minutes to record it. Just like taping songs off the radio.
But AOL, owners of Nullsoft, which makes Winamp, didn’t like being associated with something that even hints at copyright infringement. According to CNET, AOL has already removed the offending, plug-in module and is developing a patch that will be “pushed” to Winamp users as an update.
“Immediately upon discovering this flaw, we worked quickly to address it and to ensure that Winamp can continue to provide secure playback of Windows Media content,” AOL spokeswoman Ann Burkart said. “A fix is being implemented today in existing players, and a new player will be posted for users to download.”
Note Ms. Burkart’s description of the plug-in as a “flaw.” Up until a few weeks ago it was considered a “feature.”