_verified_ — Kazaa

If you were downloading music, movies, or software on the internet between 2001 and 2005, you probably heard it: the sound of a 56k modem screeching to life, followed by the slow, pixelated thrill of a download bar creeping toward 100%. And if you were doing it without paying a dime, there’s a very good chance you were using .

Kazaa was messy, illegal, and full of malware. But for a brief, beautiful moment in the early 2000s, it felt like freedom. What’s your best (or worst) Kazaa memory? Drop it in the comments. And no, you didn’t really download a Porsche. If you were downloading music, movies, or software

The (Recording Industry Association of America) began suing individual users—grandmothers, college students, 12-year-olds—for thousands of dollars per song. Meanwhile, the major labels sued Sharman Networks directly. But for a brief, beautiful moment in the

In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. that companies distributing file-sharing software could be liable if they actively encouraged infringement. Kazaa settled in 2006 for over $100 million, agreeing to become a legitimate, licensed music service. And no, you didn’t really download a Porsche