Earlier this week, Josh Greenberg, co-founder of the streaming site Grooveshark, was found dead in his apartment. He was 28.
His girlfriend found his body when she returned from a weekend trip. At the moment, there is no information on cause of death—according to the The Gainesville Sun, the police told Greenberg’s mother that there were no signs of injury or drug use.
In April, Grooveshark was shut down after a prolonged legal battle with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. At the time, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) wrote that “Grooveshark founders Josh Greenberg and Sam Tarantino admit to creating and operating an infringing music service.” The company agreed to “wip[e] its computer servers of all the record companies’ music, and surrender ownership of its website, mobile apps and intellectual property.”
Greenberg's mother told Rolling Stone, “I was very concerned when he lost Grooveshark. How would he react? Could he be depressed? Finally it ended, and they closed Grooveshark, and simultaneously the lawsuit vanished. He was relieved, not depressed.”
Greenberg helped to found the Gainesville Technology Council. The Council issued a statement after his death. “A true technology pioneer and visionary, Josh was co-founder of Grooveshark.com, which brought unprecedented tech opportunities to our region. His contributions, which helped to lay our region's innovative technology foundation, will not be forgotten.”