CenterSpan Tests File-Swapping Service

CenterSpan Communications Corp., the Oregon-based software company that picked up the technology assets of Scour Inc. last year in federal bankruptcy court, is testing a “legalized” version of Scour’s online music and video file-swapping service. CenterSpan said it sent out a message to the 4.5 million people who were using Scour’s Exchange program, the controversial Napster-like service that elicited crippling lawsuits from the record and movie industry and ultimately was the financial downfall of the Beverly Hills start-up. So far, CenterSpan officials said, more than 150,000 former Scour fans have signed up to test the new service, though details of how the service will work remain vague. CenterSpan expects to launch its new service before April 1.