Net reversal for Offspring

The Offspring will release one single on the net

American rock band Offspring has bowed to pressure from its record company and ditched plans to release its new album on the internet.

The band had planned to release Conspiracy of One on the net before it was released in shops, a decision strongly contested by Columbia records, a division of Sony Music.

Metallica are vocal opponents of Napster

The two sides were apparently heading towards the courts before a compromise agreement was reached, according to the news agency Reuters.

A single from the album, Original Prankster, will now be released on the net two weeks before the album is commercially available.

However, the official Offspring website was reporting on Tuesday that the album would still be available in "its entirety" from the net.

'Vital technology'

The row over music on the net, ignited by the online software system Napster, has sharply divided musicians.

Big name acts such as Metallica have vowed to shut down Napster, which facilitates the transfer of compressed music files over the net, while "anti-establishment" bands such as Limp Bizkit and the Smashing Pumpkins take a more relaxed approach.

On its website the Offspring state that they "view MP3 technology and programs such as Napster as being a vital and necessary means to promote music and foster better relationships with our fans".

The Smashing Pumpkins' latest album, Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music, first appeared on the internet.

Those receiving a copy of the record were asked to distribute it as widely as possible.

A spokesman for Columbia Records said in a statement: "We are extremely happy that Sony Music has worked out a solution with The Offspring and its management that supports the integrity of the band's creative idea and enables them to proceed with their promotion."

Sony Music is one of the five big labels suing Napster because it claims it provides a "safe haven" for those who want to obtain and trade illegally copied music.