how did napster work and what happened when it got in trouble with the law?

Question

And has it changed so it is legal now?
What does it do that is different?
Thanks :)

Answer 1

As Mashy said, Napster used the P2P. But it didn't use a pure form of P2P. In TCP/IP, all mconnections are build between a client and a server, for example, you go to yahoo.com, and your PC buillds a connection to Yahoo's server. In pure P2P, like Gnutella, connections are built only between clients, e.g. I have a file on my hard disc, I start Gnutella locally, you start your Gnutella locally, and see the file on my hard disc, and you download it from me and not from a server. This technology has some drawbacks, like: how do you know who in the network has the file you need? In Gnutella, every PC asks a random other PC if it has a specific file, or if it knows where to find it. That is inefficient. So Napster had a server, which had a list of all files on the network, and adresses of these files. As most people used the software illegally (that means, they shared files they had no copy right for), Napster got sued for that. Metallica were the ones who started the lawsuit, and that made their standing with fans even worse than it was previously.
During the lawsuit, Bertelsmann Group bought Napster, and the suit stopped. Bertelsmann reorganized Napster, so only files for which Bertelsmann had the rights were available for download, and people had to pay for the download. Napster still exists in this new way, but it isn't as popular as other such mp3 sites like iTunes. It doesn't do anything that is different from other online music shops, it is just notorious because it was the first sharing point for illegal files the Western world had (in some countries in Eastern Europe, there were semi-official servers with illegal files back in the 90s).
In parallel, there are new P2P networks operating. They can't be sued now, because the people who write the software don't maintain a list with adresses of illegally shared files. They only give you a tool which could be used for law-abiding purposes, like if I wrote a poem and shared it with you using this tool. The ones who could be sued are the people who use the tools for sharing illegal files. As of now, I haven't heard of such a suit, because it is not easy to prove that someone does it, and because there isn't a "central hub" in the network which would make the network collapse if it is stopped. But if you use them for illegal files, you are breaking the law, and if the music industry starts a suit against you, it will most probably win.

Answer 2

How it worked (very watered down version): It had a database of every client member's music files that were being offered. When you logged in and did a search you queried the database and if it found a match you wanted if also knew that client's ip address and directed your client where to get it. Basically it was a robotic-matchmaker for people wanting music.

What happened: Well they were heavily fined and had to shut down, after some time they retooled and came back legit and still operate to this day.

Is it legal now: Yes.

What's different?: They have the permission of the artists or producers, lbael etc.. to offer the music for a price.

By the way: Why did napster go down so easily and p2p apps don't (i.e. emule)? Because Napster had the database which listed all the illegally shared files, they knew exactly what these people were doing and didn't stop it. P2P doesnt have a central DB and doesn't want to know what your sharing it just enables you to share. ;P

In response to the answer above:
There is no such thing as a P2P Protocol, P2P is a technology that utilizes TCP/IP which is a protocol. Servers have nothing to do with the behavior of TCP/IP it works the same in a client-server and peer-network setting.
Napster was music only back then, there were no movies.
Finally, Napster wasn't P2P it was server directed.

In response to the answer below:
Where in god's name did you get that information about P2P and TCP/IP? Napster was client-server, you the client logged into the Napster server farm which hosted the database that you searched to find the music you wanted, it then told you were to get it and directed the tcp/ip sessions.
TCP/IP all connections are built between a client and a server? Not quite... Look I know you want to help but don't post information that's outright untrue. Read up on TCP/IP and stop spreading confusion.

Answer 3

Napster's technology used the P2P protocol. Difference between P2P and normal TCP/IP that we use is that, the data comes from a centrally located server in the case of TCP and for P2P comes from another computer (also called sharing). The main reason why Napster had to shutdown was because of a large number of illegal sharing files like movies and songs. thats why it had to be shut down. you may now ask what about other softwares that are running now? well, law suits are running for almost all P2P programs and ares is probbly the first software to win a lawsuit.

Answer 4

Napster replaced into what's unquestionably a peer to look record sharing community. What you do is you have a folder on your pc the place you may enable others to remotely acquire songs, records, etc from and additionally, once you're related to people you may (offered they permit it) have get admission to to their records in a matching "shared" folder on their desktops. it particularly is noted as peer to look because of the fact there is not any central record server in contact that regulates any of this. The music recording marketplace placed a end to it because of the fact people have been copying CDs and then putting new songs on Napster that people ought to acquire for unfastened thereby removing the ought to pay to purchase CDs. From what I understand, Napster is now a subscription pay provider so which you may use for a value. Napster wasn't the only peer to look record sharing community like this - there replaced into additionally LimeWire and KaZaa. i haven't particularly stored up with any of this these days so i can not inform you what is attainable appropriate now. i know which you rather can not use any of those nicely except you have a quickly broadband connection, which maximum people in all possibility have by way of now....