Case file: a category that formed
Why did MP3.com's cloud music locker fail, and when did lockers become viable?
Formed since 2026-10-25 · ledger #43
Licensed lockers launched in 2011, eleven years after the lawsuit.
Short answer
MP3.com's My.MP3.com (2000) let people stream CDs they already owned from the internet. The labels sued, a federal court ruled against MP3.com in 2000, and Vivendi bought the company in 2001. The same product returned in 2011 as iTunes Match and Google Music, this time with label licences.
- Killing constraint
- Label licences for cloud copies
E5 Legal permission / regulation - Crossing
- 2011
iTunes Match and Google Music launch with label deals. - Who won
- iTunes Match (Apple)
founded 2011
Storing one copy per song for many users was ruled infringing without a licence.
Graveyard
Companies that died proving people wanted this. Capital shown where it was disclosed.
| Company | Years | Capital | How it died | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP3.com | 1997–2001 | — | Lost UMG v. MP3.com (2000); acquired by Vivendi Universal in 2001 | source M |
Who won once the constraint crossed
- iTunes Match (Apple) (founded 2011) — licensed cloud locker source
What changed, dated
- UMG Recordings, Inc. v. MP3.com, Inc. (S.D.N.Y. 2000) found My.MP3.com infringing. source H