Jan
10
Finding MP3 Files Online - What Is Legal? -By Mike Singh
Filed Under Internet, Ninety Degree | Leave a Comment
Very few people have not heard of “Napster”, originating with a teenager’s idea that basically changed how the Internet, the music industry, and how we as consumers think of online music. The words “intellectual property” has taken on a whole new meaning due to a young man’s innovative ideas. Eighteen-year old Shawn Fanning, in 1999, wrote the code for the utility “Napster”, the nickname for Shawn Fanning for his hair. The program combined three key functions into one: search engine dedicated to finding MP3 files only; file sharing to trade MP3 files directly; and the Internet Relay chat (IRC) as a way to find and chat with other MP3 users while they were online. When he downloaded the original beta version to download.com, it immediately became one of the hottest downloads on the site. Read more