File sharing by itself isn’t illegal. What is often under controversy are the files that are shared. There are many legitimate and legal uses of file sharing, therefore the practice hasn’t ceased, though it has changed over the years. The first file sharing program that saw significant success was Napster. Napster began during the late nineties and countless people uploaded and downloaded their favorite music and video files. However, by 2001, they began to face legal challenges, as musicians such as Metallica, Dr. Dre, and Madonna became furious that there music was being traded through file sharing networks in MP3 format, well before the music was officially released. Since the music that was being traded on Napster was not being paid for, the Recording Industry Association of America, or the RIAA, filed an immediate lawsuit. More lawsuits ensued and by March 2001, an injunction had been filed against Napster. The injunction meant that Napster had to stop all copyrighted music from being file shared over the network.
The injunction was a success and by July 2001, Napster had shut down all services. By September 2001, Napster was required to pay 26 million dollars in fees for the sharing of illegal music over its network. Napster tried to stay in business by converting its service to a fee based membership where royalty fees would then be paid to the recording industry. However, this was not successful and by September 2002, Napster had declared bankruptcy.
Today, Napster is back in business as a legal file sharing network. You can buy MP3s online and there are music listening services available for mobile users as well. The new Napster is available on a global scale, and those who are interested in trying the service can sign up for a free trial. Though Napster has undergone many court cases, battles, and changes over the years, many will always consider Napster to be the original file sharing program.
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