Musicians unite for MP3 copyright fight

A 70-strong group of US musicians, including country legend Garth Brooks and teen sensation Christina Aguilera, have taken out full page advertisements in America's leading newspapers which, in effect, ask fans to boycott Napster.

The Artists Against Piracy (AAP) group said it also plans to run TV, radio and online advertisements asking fans to allow musicians to choose how their music is heard across the internet. Funding is reported to have been provided by the Recording Industry Association of America, Disney and other music trade groups.

Included in the advertisements are the words: "If a song means a lot to you, imagine what it means to us. We believe that when our music is available online, our rights should be respected."

Noah Stone, the group's leader, and an executive of internet-based record label GMEmusic.com, is reported as saying he does not wish to run Napster out of town, but to make it commercially viable for the music industry.

AAP joins rock band Metallica and rap artist Dr Dre in playing an active role in the increasingly bitter fight over online music distribution.