Napster is the name given to three music-focused online services. It was founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharingInternet service that emphasized sharing digital audio files, typically audio songs, encoded in MP3 format. The company ran into legal difficulties over copyright infringement. It ceased operations and was eventually acquired by Roxio. In its second incarnation, Napster became an online music store until it was acquired by Rhapsody from Best Buy[1] on December 1, 2011.
Napster was founded by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Initially, Napster was envisioned as an independent peer-to-peer file sharing service by Shawn Fanning. The service operated between June 1999 and July 2001.[10] Its technology allowed people to easily share their MP3 files with other participants.[11] Although the original service was shut down by court order, the Napster brand survived after the company's assets were liquidated and purchased by other companies through bankruptcy proceedings.[12]
