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A teenage boy named Shawn Fanning and is friend Sean Parker created a new peer-to-peer internet music sharing website. Fanning is pictured to the left. (The exact date is unknown).
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The first of many lawsuits and complaints was filed by the Recoding Industry Association of American. They claimed that Napster violated copyright laws.
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Metallica was the first band to respond to Napster. When they found out their music was being shared, they filed a lawsuit against Napster in complaint that they were using Metallica’s music without permission. The band also attacked universities whose students were using the sight. Dr. Dre followed in the band’s footsteps and filed a lawsuit soon after. (Matallica pictured to the left).
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The district judge that took Napster's case was Marilyn Hall Patel. The judge decided the company was not allowed “safe harbor” due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). (Marilyn Hall Patel is pictured to the left).
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A couple months later, Judge Patel ordered Napster to be shut down. The next day something unexpected happened. Napster’s usage rates spiked 71% due to users downloading as much as they could fast.
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The Napster Company filed for appeal on complaints that there were “substantial questions” that were unanswered. The court accepted the appeal.
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Among the many lawsuits against Napster was Bertelsmann AG. However, after reaching an agreement, the two companies became partners. Napster agreed to give payments to anyone musicians on their sight and Bertelsmann dropped the lawsuit along with other benefits.
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Napster continues to fight legal battles. In many failed attempts to settle, Napster realizes a website of free music download was never going to happen.
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The long struggle comes to an end. The end agrrement between Napster and the National Music Publishers’ Association is:
1) Napster charges users
2) Only uses music they have permission to
3) Pay 26 million dollars to musicians whose music was already distributed
4) Pay 10 million for “future royalties”
