Lawsuits from the recording industry forced the original Napster to shut down, and it eventually filed for bankruptcy protection.

Napster 2.0, which opened just yesterday, seems to have been named to exploit music fans' fond memories of the original Napster and its free downloads.

After the original Napster closed, the name was sold to a new company that sells licensed music under paid subscriptions and does not use peer-to-peer technology.

Get a refresher on the original Napster and why it caused such a storm about intellectual property laws.

Wayne Chang had previously worked at the original Napster while attending high school in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

In music the shift began when unauthorized file-sharing networks like the original Napster allowed fans to snatch up the songs they wanted, instantly and free.

Recording companies have tried and failed to shut down decentralized file-sharing networks the way they closed the original Napster.

Jordan Mendelson was the Chief Architect of the original Napster from 1999 to 2002.

Because of the original Napster and its file-sharing offshoots, digital-music users insist on having music that can go anywhere with them.

In this article, you will learn what the original Napster was, what it did and how it worked.