Napster shuts itself down

Can't work, won't work...

Napster has given in to the inevitable and has - at least for the time being - blocked all access to its servers. It's found itself unable to stop the unauthorised swapping of copyrighted files, and so has voluntarily shut itself down. A message on napster.com reads: "File transfers have been temporarily suspended while Napster upgrades the databases that support our new file identification technology. Keep checking this space for updates. Thanks for your support!" But the move could be an admission that the technology put in place to block the illegal exchange of files has not been working. The company suspended its service late on Sunday, and has said that it doesn't know when it will reopen for business.