Who Invented Napster?

Napster easily made a name in the world of online service by offering good quality music files, which people were able to share instantly with each other. It directly went against the interest of the music industry, which claimed that this particular type of service was in fact involved in massive violations of copyright. However, the idea behind it was so good that it eventually led to the development of peer-to-peer file-distribution programs that are decentralized. Besides these and many other interesting details, it is also good to know who invented Napster.


The Invention of Napster
Who invented Napster? Based on reports, a computer programmer named Shawn Fanning was the one who invented the idea behind such innovative online music file-sharing service during that time. He then formed a partnership with an entrepreneur named Sean Parker. Together, they released the original version of Napster some time in June 1999. Unlike other services such as USENET, Hotline and IRC, the service centered on MP3 music files. Furthermore, many people loved it right away because of its efficient but user-friendly interface.

Additional Facts and Other Important Information
Upon its initial release, people found so many different reasons to love the service provided by the original Napster. First, it owned a system comprised of a wide range of downloadable music. Secondly, the service offered people the wonderful opportunity to download and enjoy songs that were once very difficult to obtain such as concert bootleg recordings, unreleased music albums and singles as well as older songs. Furthermore, it also gave people the chance to get digital copies of songs that made use of other formats like cassette tape and LP.

Because Napster facilitated the transfer of copyrighted music, the Recording Industry Association of America decided to file a lawsuit against the said provider of online music file-sharing service. It was forced to shut down the entire operation. In September 2001, the company signed a settlement wherein it was asked to pay copyright owners and music creators. Because of these developments, it was forced to convert its free service to a form of subscription system. The online traffic towards its web site was drastically reduced.

In May 2002, it was announced that the German media company Bertelsmann would acquire the assets of Napster for the price of $85 million. By the June 3, 2002, it filed for Chapter 11 protection. In the end, the reported deal between Napster and Bertelsmann was blocked. Instead, the online music file-sharing provider was forced to liquidate its assets.