Morpheus: Blackouts and bill collectors
A little-known company emerges as a key player in accusations of unpaid bills, user-poaching and technical sabotage. Plus: Morpheus tries to regroup with new open-source software.
Morpheus woes lift rival from obscurity
Australia-based Sharman Networks came from nowhere to buy the Kazaa Media Desktop and now carries bragging rights as the world's largest file-swapping network.
March 5, 2002
Morpheus' downfall: Bills weren't paid
According to Dutch company Kazaa BV, delinquent licensing bills were to blame for the blackout of the hugely popular file-swapping network.
March 4, 2002
New Morpheus: Dead or alive?
The consensus emerging from early reports does not bode well for struggling StreamCast Networks and its file-swapping network.
March 4, 2002
Judge puts file swappers in hot seat
A federal judge orders a trio of file-swapping services to face a jury trial, telling defense attorneys, who hoped the judge would narrow the case, "You've jumped the gun."
March 4, 2002
previous coverage
Morpheus network goes open source
StreamCast Networks' Morpheus releases a new software tool it hopes will resuscitate its service. Gnutella lends a hand.
March 2, 2002
File-swapping shutdown: A sign of the times?
A glitch that locked people out of Morpheus, the most popular file-trading network since Napster, raises questions about the future of the Net's free-music bonanza.
February 27, 2002
Music site Morpheus locks out users
StreamCast Networks' Morpheus shut out most of its users, citing "technical problems." Users aren't happy.
February 26, 2002
Kazaa picks up the speed with update
Kazaa Media Desktop 1.5 comes with a new function for download recommendations, faster search results and faster start-up time.
February 11, 2002