Napster

The program, and later company, named Napster, has brought about a historical debate concerning copyright law and the Internet. Napster’s is a free Internet music file-sharing program that allows users to quickly and easily swap files with one another directly, without the use of a centralized file server. Its software aims to make finding MP3 files easier on the Internet. No files are actually hosted on Napster servers as Napster provides access to music …

…iMesh, ftp, etc. are all alternatives to Napster. The most promising one right now, however, is Napigator. Napigator uses Napster technology. This Windows-only program lets users select an independently run, Napster-compatible server to connect to, based on capacity and performance data. It's easy to use, folding nearly seamlessly into the Napster application itself. Individual "nap servers" could still be shut down, but it's unlikely that all of them could easily be expunged from the Internet.