Music streaming service Grooveshark has shut down after launching in 2007 and having a plethora of copyright issues in its eight years.
Rolling Stone reports that the inactive site now displays a message from the company that it settled with major labels, leading to the immediate shutdown of Grooveshark. The site’s original model allowed users to upload and share music with other users free of charge. The streaming service was served with a $17 billion lawsuit in 2011 when several major music labels joined forces against it. Grooveshark briefly shut down after that lawsuit, but relaunched in 2012 with a feature that allowed users to give money to artists if they chose, but also keeping the option of streaming for free.
In addition to shutting down, Grooveshark will “wipe clean all of the record companies’ copyrighted works and hand over ownership of this website, our mobile apps and intellectual property, including our patents and copyrights” as part of the settlement agreement. The message on the site mentions Spotify, Google Play, Beats Music and more as other streaming services that they have set a precedent for, for better or for worse. The note also links to the website for Why Music Matters, which helps fans find properly licensed music services.
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