Napster

Napster was a peer-to-peer file-sharing service launched in June 1999 by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, allowing users to search for and download digital audio files, most commonly MP3 music files, directly from other users' computers rather than through a conventional retailer. The service grew extremely rapidly, reaching an estimated 26.4 million verified users by February 2001, and became a central flashpoint in disputes over digital copyright as major record labels and individual artists, including Metallica, sued the company over unauthorized distribution of copyrighted recordings. The resulting litigation established significant legal precedents for online copyright enforcement and led to Napster's shutdown in July 2001, and the episode is widely regarded as marking both the end of the first wave of consumer file-sharing services and an early catalyst for the recording industry's eventual shift toward licensed digital and streaming distribution.