![Napster founder Shawn Fanning (L), 20, walks with attorney David Boise as the two of them leave the U.S. Federal Courthouse in San Francisco March 2, 2001, following a hearing in front Napster founder Shawn Fanning (L), 20, walks with attorney David Boise as the two of them leave the U.S. Federal Courthouse in San Francisco March 2, 2001, following a hearing in front](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D3WGY8/napster-founder-shawn-fanning-l-20-walks-with-attorney-david-boise-as-the-two-of-them-leave-the-us-federal-courthouse-in-san-francisco-march-2-2001-following-a-hearing-in-front-of-federal-judge-marilyn-patel-patel-ended-the-hearing-without-issuing-a-final-ruling-on-whether-the-music-swapping-service-must-shut-down-napster-told-judge-patel-that-they-would-voluntarily-begin-blocking-access-to-over-one-million-files-of-copyrighted-music-this-weekend-ldrcs-2D3WGY8.jpg)
Napster founder Shawn Fanning (L), 20, walks with attorney David Boise as the two of them leave the U.S. Federal Courthouse in San Francisco March 2, 2001, following a hearing in front
![The record industry should erect a statue in honor of Shawn Fanning | by Enrique Dans | Enrique Dans | Medium The record industry should erect a statue in honor of Shawn Fanning | by Enrique Dans | Enrique Dans | Medium](https://miro.medium.com/max/974/1*XPRLXJv4FTeb0_fA7jpCZQ.jpeg)
The record industry should erect a statue in honor of Shawn Fanning | by Enrique Dans | Enrique Dans | Medium
![Amazon.com: Shawn Fanning: The Founder of Napster (Internet Career Bios): 9781404207202: Ambrosek, Renee: Books Amazon.com: Shawn Fanning: The Founder of Napster (Internet Career Bios): 9781404207202: Ambrosek, Renee: Books](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51r-H5YtH+L._AC_SY780_.jpg)
Amazon.com: Shawn Fanning: The Founder of Napster (Internet Career Bios): 9781404207202: Ambrosek, Renee: Books
HISTORY - In 1999, an 18-year-old college dropout named Shawn Fanning made history and changed the music industry forever with his file-sharing program called Napster. His idea was simple: a program that
![Napster founder Shawn Fanning, 20, attends a press conference in San Francisco February 12, 2001, a short time after a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which said that Napster, Napster founder Shawn Fanning, 20, attends a press conference in San Francisco February 12, 2001, a short time after a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which said that Napster,](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D3MFEH/napster-founder-shawn-fanning-20-attends-a-press-conference-in-san-francisco-february-12-2001-a-short-time-after-a-ruling-by-the-ninth-circuit-court-of-appeals-which-said-that-napster-the-on-line-music-down-loading-service-must-prevent-subscribers-from-sharing-copywritten-material-napster-has-promised-to-appeal-the-ruling-2D3MFEH.jpg)