EBay enters music download market in six-month trial

NEW YORK - EBay is to trial selling music online in a six-month US trial as it looks at ways of muscling in on the success of legal download services.

According to reports, eBay will allow a number of its users to trade in digital music, in a reverse of its long-standing policy, which forbade users from selling it.

The chosen users will be given a licence to trade in digital music, but the service will only be trialled on and not on the UK site.

Hani Durzy, spokesman for eBay, said: "Much of what happens on eBay happens because the community takes us there, and this is essentially giving the community a way to see if we should create this new venue."

Last week, Apple attributed the success of its iPods and iTunes online music store for a rise in profits. Other companies are also cashing in on the boom, such as Sony, Wal-Mart and former scourge of the recording industry, Napster.

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