Sony will launch its own digital music service next year, in a project that will see its music, movie and electronics divisions work closely together, the company said Thursday. Announced by Sony Vice Chairman Howard Stringer at an event in Paris, the service appears to be conceived as a rival to Apple Computer’s successful iTunes digital music store, and as …

Colleges and the entertainment industry have made considerable progress toward turning back the file-swapping tide on university campuses, representatives of both groups said Tuesday. From teaching incoming freshmen about the legal and ethical issues of file trading to starting up trial projects offering campus-sponsored digital music services, colleges are beginning to make inroads against student copyright infringement, representatives of a …

Forrester Research on Tuesday predicted a steep fall in CD sales, as audio and video file sharing over the Internet continues to emerge as a preferred option among consumers. The firm said 20 percent of Americans engage in music downloading, and half of the downloaders said they are buying fewer CDs. By 2008, 33 percent of music sales will come …