All Over For Napster

Napster was the pioneer of p2p download systems and after several scrapes with the law the service went legal. It has now disappeared from the landscape.

We're talking about another century, another millennium even! In 1999, when broadband was only just coming onto the scene, an application was launched that was set to shake up the arts industries and in particular music.

Napster didn't last more than a couple of years in its original form and was closed by the courts but, without a doubt, it was the precursor of all p2p clients and protocols that followed: eDonkey, Limewire, Kazaa, BitTorrent. It also gave rise to a serious attack on the music industry, from which it is still reeling in spite of numerous attempts to protect its revenues.

Bought by Roxio, the brand returned as a legal download platform and in 2008, the American chain Best Buy bought Napster before selling it on to Rhapsody, the music store and online streaming site owned by Real Networks. The two services have now been merged.


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