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Shawn Fanning begins to code Napster
Shawn Fanning drops out of Napster to create Napster, an idea that came to him to make downloading music off the internet easier and faster. -
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The Life of Napster
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The beta version of Napster is released
Sean Park and Shawn Fanning release the beta version of Napster online. The program instantaneously became popular. -
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RIAA Lawsuit
The RIAA sued Napster for copyright infringement. This lawsuit was the most important factor of the shutting down of Napster. This court case, which began on December 7, 1999, dragged on for almost a year. Napster was charged over 2 million dollars in damage charges. -
Metallica Sues Napster
Metallica sued Napster after seeing one of its songs, "I Disappear", that had not been released yet, on the program. This case concerned three areas of law: copyright infringement, unlawful use of digital audio interface device, and the Racketeering Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act. Metallica also sued a handful of universities whose students had been using the program. The charges over damage were over 10 million dollars. -
The Court Orders Napster to Shut Down
After hearing the RIAA's request for a premilinary injunction, court judge Marilyn Hall Patel orders Napster to be shut down.