According to Centerspan Corporate Marketing Manager Keith Halasy, Scour's already-developed technology, huge user base and valuable brand name make it enticing to a company like Centerspan, which is developing its own peer-to-peer product.

Tentatively named C-star, the program will allow users to swap music, video and other entertainment files and chat with each other. Unlike Scour Exchange, however, the company says it will provide a variety of copyright management schemes and fee structures that content producers can choose for the material they make available through C-star.

"To address the needs of content owners and facilitate proper remuneration to copyright holders, our system will have tracking and accountability built in," Halasy says.

Listen.com, a company that syndicates web content for use on portal sites, claims as its main product an online directory of more than 150,000 musical artists, with reviews, links to downloadable versions of their music, and other information.

Sean Garrett, a Listen.com spokesperson, says it is too early discuss how his company would leverage Scour's assets. He indicated, however, that the peer-to-peer software would be used in some form.

"We want to offer all the elements that create the complete music experience," Garrett says.

Companies may place bids for Scour's assets until Dec. 5. On Dec. 12, companies whose bids have been approved by the Los Angeles bankruptcy court will be able to take part in a competitive auction.