IBM tech blocks Napster pirates

IBM will release a new version of its anti-music piracy technology Monday that it says could help block song traders who use services such as Napster or Gnutella.

Big Blue is one of the oldest players in the so-called digital rights management business, in which companies create software to block or deter would-be pirates from downloading music online without permission. A 1999 test conducted with most of the major label record companies led many analysts to put IBM in a leading role in the young industry. Full story to follow. --John Borland