Napster to Live On in the UK and Germany

It may have been acquired by Rhapsody but the Napster name is a hard one to shake.

Back in the beginning of October, Rhapsody announced that it was acquiring Napster. Purchased by Best Buy in September of 2008, Rhapsody said that the agreement would see it acquire Napster subscribers and certain other assets, while Best Buy would receive a minority stake in Rhapsody. The transaction closed last week and Rhapsody announced that Napster was now fully merged with its on-demand music service. However, despite what you may think, we haven't seen the last of the Napster brand.

The Register reports that, while the name Napster might soon become a distant memory in the United States, it will live on in the United Kingdom and Germany. The Reg reports that Napster UK wasn't included in the acquisition deal and still belongs to Best Buy. As such, a spokesperson said that the service will live on in both the UK and Germany.

"There is no intention to close Napster in either Germany or the UK," the spokesperson said.