Introduction
It all started and began with the first peer to peer file sharing system which was napster, though it became as a major impact and very popular to alot users worldwide.
As for the music industry was losing out and watched millions of users logging onto this famous file-sharing system to download and exchange MP3s files for free. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) thought enough was enough and fired a lawsuit against it.
"In the year 2003 napster was then vigirously shut down by copyright infringement, by then they lost out in court to prevent from closing down.
The world had then and now have used and tasted the power of peer to peer file sharing system and wanted more of it".
Then next came a different type of peer to peer file sharing network which was Gnuttella, this type of software is different from napster because it does not have a server that stores information on which of the files are being shared. This is not a software downloadable or a website, it is a netwok protocol a standardalize system which allows computers to talk direclty to one another.
What is Peer to Peer file sharing
"Peer-to-Peer – is a type of network protocol which allows a group of computers users using the same networking programs to connect to each other and then directly accessing the files from each others hard drives. Limwire, napster, Kazaa are examples of peer-to-peer software."
http://www.timewarnercable.com/nynj/products/internet/internetsecurity/filesharing.html [cited on 27/1/08]
Below is the table showing the following list of some of the usual peer-to-peer file sharing software applications, which most of them are free.
| "Kazaa | Gnucleus | Gnotella | JungleMonkey | Hotline |
| Morpheus | Bodtella | iMesh | Frostwire | Konspire |
| MyNapster | BearShare | DirectConnect | eDonkey2000 | Filetopia |
| Gnutella | Mactella | Freenet | Kazaa lite ++ | Newtella |
| Aimster | LimeWire | WinMX | Flycode | audio galaxy" |
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/peer-to-peer-file-sharing.html [cited on 26/01/08]
How does Peer to peer file sharing work?
"Frostwire is a file sharing application. Its easy and simple to use , this how it works: when you are installing Frostwire, you locate the folder for your downloadable and the shared files to be stored in. Frostwire will then check and publish the list of files in that folder to the frostwire network, when if anyone whom is logged on to frostwire, they can start to dowload the files to their own computer."
<http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApGZQ2t0nrnPD8J3FvtCAZYjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20061102103826AAUlSCM> [cited on 26/1/08]
When you are searching for the specific file video, song, image, it searchs the actual database of frostwire for that file to be in somebodys elses folder on their computer. while you are downloading it transfering the file from their own hard drive to yours by the internet.
Bit torrent
"Bit torrent is another type of source of a peer to peer file sharing transfer protocol. Its very similar to peer to peer file sharing system, as users can directly connect to each other to send and receive chunks of the specific file that you are downloading, but this time there is a server called a tracker which process of all the peers.
This tracker only manages the different type of connections; it does not have specific content of the file that is being distributed, so the user therefore can be more supported with limited tracker bandwidth.
The main advantage of BitTorrent is that the users can upload files transmitting data in or out bound at the same time." http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bittorrent.htm [ cited on 26/01/08]
What a Peer to Peer network looks like (Click Here) for Comparison Diagrams)
Copyright Law affecting Peer to Peer file sharing
File sharing can be easier for people to share music, videos, movies, software, texting, pictures and other type of files, but there are some circumstances to consider is when you have the explicit permission of the copyright owner to process and distribute the material as to be aware of violation of copyright law.
Copyright has become the reproduction and the distribution of materials at present. The materials that are copyrighted are around people and everywhere such as stated above, some of these are just a few things which are subjected to copyright protection.
When the material has been brought you have only a certain limitation in the way the actual person can use it, but not have the actual right to reproduce it. For example a user or person can lend you the originally copy to a family or friend but is then not allowed to give them a copy with out consent or permission and also the payment to the copyright holder.
This can also affect the copyright of some one who plays musical instruments for a particular song but can not perform in front of an audience without their permission
Website/internet users who are liable to these rules, which is largely accepted to make copies of music cd or movies dvds for their own personal use which they an transfer to their mini discs, ipods or any other portable digital music player, but not allowed to lend them anybody else.
Also users are not allowed to share peer 2 peer file systems such as kazaa or frostwire that will also give others access to these shared files for there own personal use with out paying for them unless you have the permission from the copyright owner.
Though people could be at risk that are using peer to peer file sharing systems from downloading viruses or files which sometimes not intended to download.
What to watch out for
Their always have been a substanial benefits when downloading and installing peer to peer software applications, not only students use them businesses around the world use these application to exchange files, but some users should watch out for malware,adware,spyware.
These are other type of application being stored on to your hard drive which is varsly a common problem, the users are not aware of this due to sometimes the unwanted oftware remains istalled on the system even the original is removed, but sometime the software is very difficult to eliminate
