"Unlike Napster, which Fanning created in 1999 in his Northeastern University dorm room, Snocap isn't offering software that can be downloaded and directly used by consumers. Instead, Snocap has created a database platform to be licensed by record companies, individual musicians or other copyright holders to manage the sale and distribution of their work. The technology is designed to let copyright holders set prices or other terms of distribution," reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Universal has agreed to register its entire catalog of songs with Snocap. How those songs will be sold online is unclear, but Fanning is using Snocap's database as the first step in what he hopes will be the creation of a single worldwide clearinghouse for online music distribution, whether through a Napster-style file-sharing network or an online service like iTunes Music Store."
