Metallica Label To Be Bought By Napster Founder?
Rumours have it that the band\'s former nemesis could soon own their back catalogue
The Pulse Of Radio reports that Metallica's record label is for sale — and one person interested in buying it is the man who founded Napster, against which Metallica fought a legal battle more than a decade ago. According to All Things Digital, Napster founder Sean Parker is in talks to team up with two other private investors to purchase the Warner Music Group, where Metallica has been making records since 1984.
Back in 2000, the band launched legal action against Napster, claiming that the music file-sharing service was illegally allowing users to download tracks without paying royalties to the band. As a result some 300,000 users were removed from the service and Metallica's public image was seriously demaged.
While Metallica are currently without a label after their deal with Warners expired, if the takeover does happen the band's whole studio back catalogue would be, at least in part, controlled by the man they once went to war with in US courts.