Features

SAN FRANCISCO — Socially conscious rockers Rage Against the Machine have apologized to their fans after Napster Inc. blocked access for users swapping the band’s mosh-rock favorites. 

“Rage Against the Machine would like to sincerely apologize to all of our fans who were kicked off of Napster for downloading ‘Renegades,’ ” wrote Rage guitarist Tom Morello on the band’s Web site. 

“Renegades” is the band’s latest CD. Despite Thursday’s ban of users trading tracks from the album, the free-for-all continued Friday with every song from the CD readily available on Napster. But the ban remains in effect, and if Napster catches the users trading Rage Against the Machine songs they’ll be blocked from all access to the service. 

A spokeswoman for Redwood City-based Napster confirmed that the company had received an allegation from the band’s parent label, Sony, that Rage’s music was being traded without permission. The band puts out music under the Epic Records label, which is owned by Sony. 

Morello said he phoned the band’s management, Q Prime, in an attempt to get blocked Napster users reinstated. Morello also posted links to Web sites that distribute small programs that allow booted Napster users to reconfigure their Napster accounts, log back on and continue trading music. 

Those blocked from using Napster are redirected to the company’s Web page explaining the alleged improper activity: 

“The allegation is that material that you have made available through the Napster service is copyrighted and that your making it available infringes the notifier’s copyright,” explains Napster on the Web page. 

Napster could not confirm exactly how many users were affected by the latest ban. The band vowed to fight such attempts to block access in the future. 

“Per my instructions, no further notices will be sent out, and again, I apologize for this undermining of your right to hear our music. In the future we will be more vigilant about this matter,” Morello wrote. 

Morello’s apology to fans runs contrary to the other musicians who have fought to keep their music off online Napster directories. Rapper Dr. Dre and the heavy metal band Metallica previously have sent requests to Napster after the artists discovered their music was traded freely via the company’s service. 

Napster continues to defend itself in a copyright infringement suit filed against it by the recording industry. Both sides await an opinion from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on a preliminary injunction against Napster that was stayed in July. 

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On the Net: 

Napster, http://www.napster.com 

Rage Against the Machine, http://www.ratm.com