Napster: Don't call it a closedown

The first signs of the final stretch of Napster's existence appeared today, as the download store scraps its UK arm to "centralise" its European operation in Frankfurt:

The company has expanded the role of Thorsten Schliesche, the general manager of its German sales team, to include responsibility for sales and marketing across Europe.

Napster president Brad Duea says the restructure will help to manage its European market more efficiently. He adds: "At this moment in time, it makes sense for Napster to centralise the European management structure in Frankfurt."

In other words, in a bid to stem the ongoing losses, they're trying to reduce the number of holes to leak cash from.

We know that if you end your subscription, your Napster downloads disappear. If you're one of the handful of Napster subscribers, you might want to double check what will happen to your music collection if Napster disappears.