The UNC system has moved ahead with plans to allow system schools to install legal music downloading, but in the mean time, UNC-Chapel Hill officials are continuing to shop for a permanent service provider.
During the summer, UNC-system officials signed contracts with music providers Cdigix and Ruckus, and they signed a contract Thursday with Napster.
In the spring semester UNC-system schools established free pilot programs on six campuses that allowed students to use those three companies and Rhapsody.
The contracts with the companies are bare on details, and individual campuses are expected to set out the finer points of their music downloading programs, said Tom Warner, director of coordinated technology management for the UNC system Office of the President.
"It just sets a foundation so if one of the campuses, one of the schools would want to do this, there's the foundation there," he said.
UNC-CH has not made a definitive move on installing a permanent music downloading program.
"I will say we have not made any decision at this point," said Jeanne Smythe, director for computing policy for UNC-CH.
She said Information Technology Services officials are continuing to hear proposals from companies, and they also are looking to how other system schools will react.
When implemented, the program probably will require students to pay individually, Smythe said, rather than requiring the entire student body to pay.
