is the best-known name in the world of music downloading, but was once the scourge of record companies all over the world because it allowed anyone with internet access to swap their record collections with other music fans for free.
The company was a huge success in the late 1990s racking up 70m users, but after legal action from record companies the service was suspended in 2001 and eventually closed after bankruptcy proceedings in 2002.
The story is set to be made into a movie by MTV, telling how creator and college drop-out Shawn Fanning started the service when he was a 19-year-old student.
The record companies that once considered Napster the enemy are now in partnership hoping to make money from the service. Napster 2.0 has deals with the five major record companies - BMG, Universal Music, Warner Music, EMI and Sony Music - with Sony also launching its own download site. Napster also hosts tracks from hundreds of different independent record labels.
Chris Gorog, chairman and CEO of Napster and parent company Roxio, said: "The UK has made enormous contributions to popular music and, indeed, Napster's incredible catalogue, so it's great to share the excitement of the new legal version of the legendary Napster with all the music fans in the UK."
Napster is offering a monthly subscription service and an a la carte download service, as well as Napster Lite, which offers free 30-second samples and the opportunity to buy singles or albums. The launch is being promoted with a free, seven-day trial. It has also signed a deal with Dixons to see all own-brand PCs preloaded with the Napster 2.0 software.
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