▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Apple ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁shut ting ▁down ▁L ala . com ▁entirely ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁Original ▁business ▁model ▁▁ ▁The ▁original ▁primary ▁function ▁of ▁the ▁website ▁was ▁bro k ering ▁tr ades ▁of ▁CD s ▁between ▁users . ▁After ▁a ▁few ▁years , ▁the ▁company ▁shift ed ▁its ▁main ▁focus ▁to ▁upload ing ▁MP 3 s , ▁listening , ▁and ▁bu ying ▁instead ▁of ▁trad ing . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁trad ing ▁function , ▁L ala ▁made ▁money ▁by ▁charg ing ▁a ▁fee ▁for ▁each ▁disc ▁a ▁trad ing ▁member ▁receives ▁ ▁( this ▁fee ▁was ▁$ 1 ▁per ▁disc ▁since ▁the ▁website ' s ▁in ception ). ▁ ▁Upon ▁signing ▁up ▁for ▁the ▁trad ing ▁service , ▁a ▁user ▁would ▁provide ▁a ▁credit ▁card ▁number ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁subsequent ▁month ly ▁bill ings . ▁ ▁New ▁trad ers ▁received ▁a ▁packet ▁of ▁pre pa id ▁sh ipping ▁en velop es ▁and ▁protect ive ▁card board ▁sle e ves ; ▁new ▁en velop es ▁were ▁provided ▁as ▁required ▁while ▁the ▁user ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁re - use ▁the ▁disc ▁sle e ves ▁from ▁disc s ▁they ▁received . ▁ ▁Lim its ▁were ▁placed ▁on ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁disc s ▁a ▁tr ader ▁could ▁have ▁in ▁trans it ▁in ▁either ▁direction ▁at ▁a ▁given ▁time . ▁This ▁protected ▁not ▁only ▁L ala . com , ▁but ▁the ▁recip ients ▁and ▁sh ipp ers ▁as ▁well