Kazaa goes legit

P2P network re-launches as music service.

Former peer to peer file sharing service Kazaa has been re-launched as a subscription music service.

The new Kazaa service allows users unlimited downloads of files which can play of up to three PCs, as well as ringtones for one mobile phone, at a cost of $19.98 per month. The service is being run by Brilliant Digital, which purchased the rights from previous owner Sharman Networks.

The re-launching of Kazaa marks a new start for the embattled file sharing network. Originally operating as a peer-to-peer file sharing service, Kazaa was amongst the first services to step in following the shutdown of Napster.

Lawsuits from the music and recording industries soon hit the service, however, and by 2005 Kazaa was faced with shutdown following a $100 million legal settlement with four major record labels.

The re-launch adds Kazaa to growing list of free peer-to-peer services that were forced to convert to for-pay services as a direct result of legal actions.

Iconic file sharing service Napster has been trying for years to regain popularity as a music subscription service, and the Pirate Bay recently announced that its own legal woes would force the site to be recast as a legitimate gaming site.