Napster, Inc, Statement on Court Ruling

Statement of Hank Barry, CEO if Napster, Inc.

San Francisco, CA- July 26, 2000- As you know, the recording industry has sued Napster in order to shut us down. Today, in federal court, the judge issued an order that basically would have the effect of shutting down the Napster service as it exists.

We will be appealing the judge's ruling to the court of appeals and will ask the court of appeals tomorrow morning to stay the judge's order during the appeal. If we do not get a stay, then we have until midnight Friday to comply with the judge's order. Although we strongly and firmly disagree with the judge's decision, we will, of course, comply with that decision if it is not stayed. The judge's ruling is essential in this: that one-to-one non-commercial file sharing violates the law.

We will fight this in a variety of ways to keep the Napster community growing and strong. We will keep you informed and we will ask for your help. Please check our website for updates and what you can do. We intend to see this through in every venue, in every court. We believe in Napster and we believe in the Napster community. Thank you for your support.

About Napster, Inc.
Napster is the world's leading file sharing community. Napster's software application enables users to locate and share media files from one convenient, easy-to-use interface. It also provides media fans a forum to communicate their interests and tastes with one another via instant messaging, chat rooms, and Hot List user bookmarks.