Howard King has a lot on his plate these days. The attorney represents heavy-metal band Metallica, which three weeks ago led the latest charge against Napster, the maker of a popular music-swapping software program. The group sued Napster for contributory copyright infringement and racketeering. Now, more of King’s high-profile clients are lining up: Last week, rapper Dr. Dre filed his own suit, and King says at least 10 other artists or managers and a publishing firm have approached him about taking legal action against the Internet company.
Yet King doesn’t expect to be tied up with Napster for long. “If Metallica wins, everyone else’s suit will be easier,” says King, a partner at King, Purtich, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner in Los Angeles. “But if Metallica wins, Napster is out of business, so there’s no one else to sue.”
