Snocap

Snocap was a pioneering digital rights and content management startup founded in 2002 by Shawn Fanning, Jordan Mendelson, and Silicon Valley investor Ron Conway, following the shutdown of Napster. The company's initial focus was on developing technology for content owners, particularly artists and labels, to register their content and set business rules for its web availability. Snocap secured deals with major labels like Universal Music Group, EMI, Warner Music Group, and SonyBMG Music Entertainment. The ultimate goal was to license this technology to file-sharing services for legal P2P sharing, although the services powered by Snocap never launched. Snocap's collaboration with MySpace in late 2006 and imeem in March 2007 laid the groundwork for music sales and ad revenue sharing initiatives. Imeem eventually acquired Snocap in April 2008, integrating its technology into its ad-supported streaming service. Snocap was funded by investors including Ron Conway, Morgenthaler Ventures, WaldenVC, and Court Square Ventures, raising over $25 million in total.