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Blog: P2P

File sharing is the exchange or distribution of digital media between at least two individuals or more, often through the computer. There are different means of file sharing, such as using peer-to-peer (P2P) networking, centralized servers on computer networks, and removable media like USBs.

Peer-to-peer file sharing or P2P file sharing, is when the user is able to share files or digital media through computer devices over the internet. Some examples of P2P file sharing include the use of pirating websites like KickassTorrents, OpenBitTorrent, and The Pirate Bay, which allow users to upload files of digital media for other users to download over the internet. There are other means of filing sharing that may not involve the public, such as sharing a file with a friend (friend-to-friend) and VPNs. Although file sharing in itself is not considered an illegal process, these websites are known for piracy of digital media.

The Pirate Bay is noted as a "BitTorrent tracking site in Sweden with 150,000 users a day [2005]" (Thompson). It previously received a cease-and-desist letter from Dreamworks to take down a Shrek 2 movie uploaded on their site but refused to comply (Thompson). There have been similar issues with P2P file sharing websites before, a popular example being Napster. Napster was once a popular P2P file sharing service for music but was ultimately shut down due to a lawsuit initially filed by Metallica, a heavy metal band. Judging by these events, it is evident that there are issues of how P2P file sharing ought to be conducted, as the service itself is not illegal, but the digital goods being shared might be.

The BitTorrent Effect by Clive Thompson, Wired, January 2005. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.01/bittorrent.html
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