US punk band cashes in on Napster

Napster may be still working out a business plan, but a punk band has come up with a way of cashing in on the MP3 digital music website's celebrity status.

Southern Californian band The Offspring are busy selling unauthorised Napster merchandising from their website. The group makes no secret of the fact that it will pocket all proceeds from sales.

The Offspring could put Napster in the uncomfortable position of suing the band to protect its trademark rights. Napster is already being sued by artists such as Metallica and Dr Dre over alleged breach of copyright for tracks swapped by its members.

The whole issue puts Napster in a catch-22 situation, particularly as the group wholeheartedly supports the file-swapping utility.

"The Offspring are dedicated to understanding our fans and are committed to developing the best possible internet presence that promotes our music and helps us stay in touch with the people who provide us with our livelihood, our devoted fans," said a note on the group's website.

Napster has so far declined to comment on The Offspring's bootleg marketing. It has confirmed, however, that it does not have a merchandising deal with the group.