Kazaa
Mazie Wingeier
Kazaa, founded in 2001, was a popular peer-to-peer file-sharing application that allowed users to share various types of digital content, including music, video files, software applications, e-books, and text files. Originally stylized as "KaZaA", the application is commonly referred to as "Kazaa". Its desktop client was named Kazza Media Desktop, aka KMD.
Initially, Kazaa operated as a P2P file-sharing platform, gaining popularity in the early 2000s. Due to legal challenges, Kazaa faced legal troubles and eventually pivoted into a legitimate licensed subscription service in 2010. While Kazaa enjoyed its moment in the spotlight, it ceased its operations in August 2012.
Kazaa was built with FastTrack protocol, a peer-to-peer (P2P) communications technology that also served iMesh, Grokster, and Morpheus file-sharing programs. FastTrack was a widely known project built by the BlueMoon team, headed by Jaan Tallinn, an Estonian billionaire computer programmer. The team later joined Niklas Zennstrm from Sweden and Janus Friis from Denmark, and introduced Kazaa in March 2001, under the name of Consumer Empowerment, a Dutch-based company.
In 2002, many users found the Kazaa was bundled with adware, probably as a means for monetization. The spyware was accused of modifying users' browser settings - such as the home page and 404 error page, inserting advertising toolbars, and capturing browsing data.
In response to these issues, unofficial versions of Kazaa emerged, aiming to maintain the functionality of the software while removing all associated malware. Kazaa Lite is the most prominent alternative, it was so popular and even surpassed the official client in terms of user adoption.
During the early 2000s, Sharman Networks faced lawsuits by the Buma/Stemra, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association), and the UMA (Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd).
In 2001, the Dutch music publishing body Buma/Stemra initiated legal action against Consumer Empowerment, the original company behind Kazaa. The court ruled that Kazaa's owners must take measures to prevent copyright infringement.
In October 2001, the RIAA and the MPAA filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Kazaa in a federal court in Los Angeles. This lawsuit also included StreamCast Networks (owner of Morpheus) and Grokster, two other major file-swapping companies.
The legal proceedings forced an offshoring of the company, Sharman Networks. It was headquartered in Australia and organized in the offshore jurisdiction of the Republic of Vanuatu, a small island in the South Pacific. Meanwhile, Blastoise, the operator of FastTrack was hosted in another tax haven, a small British-owned island.
Following the transfer of Kazza's key assets to Sharman Networks, legal challenges escalated. Various music industry associations and copyright holders pursued lawsuits against Kazaa for facilitating copyright infringement.
In a significant development, a US federal judge ruled that the RIAA and the MPAA can expand the ongoing copyright suit to include this new owner, Sharman Networks. Still, many in the legal community believed that the case was the best chance to establish a legal defense for peer-to-peer technology.
Sharman Networks also expressed confidence in their position, stating that they believed the distribution of the Kazaa Media Desktop was not only legal but also crucial for the future of P2P. They were optimistic that the court would vindicate their legal stance.
Unlike Napster which maintains a central server that helps link file swappers, Sharman, StreamCast and Grokster simply distribute the software used by file traders. They contend that this should shield them from legal liability.
In September 2003, the RIAA filed lawsuits against over 250 individuals, accusing them of illegally distributing about 1,000 copyright music files each, using P2P networks. RIAA sought an average compensation of $3,000 per case.
Amid the legal battles, Sharman Networks released Kazaa 2.0. This version allows users to download groups of songs as a single item, conduct web searches within the program, and includes a rating feature to avoid downloading corrupted files.
In August, 2003, Sharman Networks and Avalon Online Distribution (AOD) published Kazaa Plus, a $29.95 premium version that offers an ad-free experience, improved search capabilities, and increased download sources. The certified version was exclusively available on www.kazaaplus.com and CNET's downloading hub.
In February 2004, the Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI), a division of the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), took legal action against Kazaa. They alleged massive copyright breaches. Later in September, 2005, UMA v. Sharman ruled that the Kazaa network had violated copyright laws in Australia, as the file-swapping program encouraged users to breach copyright. Kazaa was given a two-month deadline to modify their website to prevent further piracy.
In Oct. 2010, Kazaa was acquired by Atrinsic, a company that specializes in online advertising and offers subscription products directly to consumers. According to the agreement, Brilliant Digital (the owner of Kazaa at that time) will receive 7.1 million shares of Atrinsic's stock. Brilliant Digital will also maintain ownership of 20% of the profits generated by Kazaa.
In March 2011, Atrinsic launches Kazaa app for the iPad. The app grants subscribers the ability to enjoy unlimited music tracks with a $10 monthly subscription. During the initial week of usage, users can download songs without any charge. Atrinsic shares were up from $3.29 to $3.75 on Nasdaq after the announcement.
In fact, the gradual decline of Kazaa began in the mid-2000s, primarily due to the legal battles it faced. As the platform implemented stricter measures to combat copyright infringement, many users migrated to other file-sharing platforms that were less restricted. Meanwhile, the rise of legal streaming services such as iTunes, Spotify, and Netflix further compounded Kazaa's demise.
Cecilia Hwung is the editor-in-chief of Digiarty VideoProc. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in delivering insightful content on AI trends, video/audio editing, conversion, troubleshooting, and software reviews. Her expertise makes her a trusted ally in enhancing users' digital experiences.
Digiarty Software, established in 2006, pioneers multimedia innovation with AI-powered and GPU-accelerated solutions. With the mission to "Art Up Your Digital Life", Digiarty provides AI video/image enhancement, editing, conversion, and more solutions. VideoProc under Digiarty has attracted 4.6 million users from 180+ countries.
solo - they already did. There was just a court battle where Verizon had to give up the names of a few people who shared music. The courts ruled in favor of RIAA and now they are going nuts with this suing crap. I use kazaa, and I have my file sharing turned off, so no one can access my files or see how many songs (or pornos) I have.
MIKESMITH00: Shareaza? Don`t know if they updated their gig, but last time I tried it, 24 hours straight, i never was able to get a connection. KazaaLite is leagues beyond that in connection quality, frequency and speed.
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