When did Napster operate as a major music file-sharing service?

Napster operated as a major music file-sharing service from its inception in 1999 until it was shut down in 2001.1

Created by Shawn Fanning, the service utilized peer-to-peer technology to allow users to share music files over the Internet. At its peak in 2001, the platform hosted approximately 1.5 million simultaneous users. This widespread sharing of copyrighted material without authorization sparked significant legal challenges regarding copyright piracy, ultimately leading to a court-ordered injunction obtained by the Recording Industry Association of America that forced the service to cease operations in its original form.1

While the brand was later acquired and relaunched as a legitimate e-commerce enterprise, the original file-sharing service remains a landmark case in the history of cybercrime and the development of digital rights management.1