Can't stop, won't stop, says KaZaA

Napster-style file-sharing service KaZaA has said it can't stop its users downloading copyrighted music - even though a Dutch court has ordered it to do so.

KaZaA has claimed it cannot stop its users because, unlike Napster, it doesn't know who they are. The KaZaA software has already been distributed and KaZaA claims it is unable to now see what users of the software are swapping.

KaZaA faces fines of £28,500 per day, up to a maximum of £570,000, if it doesn't stop illegal use of its software within 14 days of the court ruling.

KaZaA, which allows the swapping of movies as well as music, has been named in a separate case brought by the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America, along with two similar services - Grokster and Music City, which both use the same technology as KaZaA, called FastTrack.