Napster

First introduced circa 1999, Napster operated using a centralized directory, or index of files available for sharing.16 The directory was located on a centralized server (or set of servers), to which various individual user computers &mdash; or “peers” &mdash; could connect via the Internet.17 An individual user could download the Napster software, connect to the server, and then send a query for a particular file she wanted to obtain – such as a song title.18 The server would respond with information indicating which other peers had the file. The user who made the query could then request a copy of that file directly from the other peer, which would respond by providing the file itself.20

The original Napster ceased operations shortly after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s decision in A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.