Is Napster about to grow up?

The popular MP3 music-trading software, which built its reputation on thumbing its nose at the music industry, is about to go legit. <BR> Bertelsmann, the world’s second-largest music publisher, has struck an alliance with the Redwood City, Calif., company. The German media giant’s BMG label, home to artists such as Britney Spears, is one of five major record companies suing Napster, which distributes software allowing users to trade music files over the Internet. <BR> But instead of duking it out in court, the two companies hope the other labels with join their alliance, turning Napster into a subscription-based service selling music to the masses online. <BR> <BR><A HREF="http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/DailyNews/napster001101.html" TARGET=NEW>Read More...</A>