Bertelsmann's Pursuit of Napster Puts It on Both Sides of Suit

By pursuing a possible deal to buy the music-trading service Napster, the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann is opening the unusual possibility that it may be financing an antitrust investigation against itself. The deal to buy Napster is being promoted by Bertelsmann's chief executive, Thomas Middelhoff, who told a German newspaper this month that he was willing to pay $15 million to $30 million, in addition to the $85 million that his company has already lent Napster over the last few years.