Snoopstar

Snoop Star was a peer-to-peer file sharing client that could search for and download media files simultaneously from multiple file sharing networks.

Technology

Concept

Snoopstar was the first peer-to-peer file sharing client that was able to connect to multiple music sharing networks simultaneously. The software could submit search queries to the connected P2P networks and present search results in a consolidated list. The software allowed users to retrieve relevant files in parallel from any of the connected file sharing networks across all protocols. The individual file fragments were compiled using a hash sum and an overlapping heuristic, thus ensuring that the downloaded file was complete and correct. It did not allow downloaded files to be shared back onto the connected peer-to-peer networks and was only available for Windows.

Supported P2P networks

Supported file sharing protocols included:

• Napster 1.0
• Opennap
• Gnutella 1.0
• Kazaa
• IMesh
• Scour Exchange

History

Idea and creation

Snoopstar was designed by Matthias Runte in April 2000. Runte worked for Bertelsmann AG. In July 2000, Bertelsmann AG founded the spin-off Snoopstar.com GmbH in Hamburg which was intended to develop and distribute software. The founders of Snoopstar were Matthias Runte, Michel Clement and another employee of Berterlsmann as well as Direct Group as a majority shareholder.

Beta test

On February 3, 2001, Snoopstar launched a beta test limited to 1000 users. The press response was large, for three reasons:

• Snoopstar was an innovative product that outperformed existing file sharing tools.
• Bertelsmann, as world-wide operating media group, got involved in a music exchange network.
• Snoopstar's questionable technique allowing for downloading files but not re-uploading them into the, especially with respect to Bertelsmann's participation.

The beta test ran for one week only and ended on February 12, 2001. Bertelsmann prevented further tests and also the launch of the software because operating their own file-sharing network would contradict their efforts against existing file-sharing networks and other P2P services.

End

At the end of 2002, Snoopstar.com GmbH entered into its operating business and was merged with Reinhard Mohn GmbH in 2004.

Other products

Snoopstar developed but did not launch two other products.

The PC-based video recorder Thunderweather could upload recorded content to other users. With the help of Thunderweather, television content could be distributed worldwide. The rightsholders at television channels could object to the dissemination of the content or participate in the advertising revenues.

OzKaa was a P2P distribution platform for large media files. It was designed for movies and video, which would reduce traffic costs for delivery from the service provider. Its name referred to the then-popular file-sharing service Kazaa.

Literature

• Röttgers, Janko. Mix, Burn & RIP - The end of the music industry , Heinz Heise, 2003. . Also available as a free PDF version from the publisher - contains information about the history and background of Snoop Star.

External links

• Heise online 5 February 2001: "Power-Napster" for time-sucker
• CNN online on 27 February 2001: Bertelsmann testing secret Napster clone
• Snoopstar.com