Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and its Effects on the World

Written and Presented by: Craig Schweitzer

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

What is peer-to-peer(P2P) file sharing and how does it work? How has P2P file sharing affected the nation and the world? What are the moral and legal implications of P2P

What is P2P file sharing?

An application on the computer to allow a user to give, receive, or transfer files to another location(computer on the network)

What is P2P file sharing? (Contd)

Acts much like a web browser(Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, etc.), but used for different tasks Allows the transfer of data such as music, movies, games, text files, executable files, and other valuable resources Differs from the internet because it uses direct communication without a main server which websites use

What is P2P file sharing? (Contd)

These software applications allow a users computer to act as a servent(a server and a client) and at the same time protects people from malicious damage like that done by some hackers by allowing downloads, but not uploads. There is still a threat of viruses and bad files from within downloaded files.

What is P2P file sharing?The Hazards

Spyware, although usually not a serious threat, can slow down your computer, and really annoy you. Spyware is a program that tracks your internet use. It can also do that thing that everyone loves, make pop-up ads fill your screen Viruses are more important and can kill the computer. If you get a file like this, we CS majors end up thanking you after we fix the computer and take your money

P2P file sharing

This is a picture of what a P2P application looks like

How has it affected the world?

P2P file sharing has affected the world in many ways:

1. Changed the way people use their computers

2. Made changes in the industries which are affected by the new wave of P2P

Changing the way people use their computers

Back in the 80s, most people in the world would never believe that you could get music, movies and all types of software files for their computer. By now this has become commonplace. But to get them for free?! This is divine!!

Made changes in the industries

Before P2P, most industries like the music, movie, and software developers relied on the fact that they could put a compact disc, tape, dvd, software package out and do whatever they would like. They would charge outrageous prices for a piece of garbage. Now, they think twice. They have to make a better produced product with better packaging.

Ethical and Legal Implications of Use

Ethical: Is it right to steal music, movies, etc.?

Is it really even stealing?

Are they stealing from us by making a 50 cent compact disc 15 dollars?

Is it really hurting the music industry?

Ethical and Legal Implications of Use (Contd)

Legal:
1) For the P2P company: -Copyright infringement -Breach of Fair Use clause -Lawsuit 2) For the people(less likely): -Breach of Fair Use clause -Arrest and fines -Lawsuit

Ethical issues
The main issue behind the P2P is the conflict between the two positions; one believing in the idea that everybody should have the right to access knowledge and entertainment without the obligation to make other people rich off of their hard earned dollar, the other feeling that anybody taking the work of another person should pay for the services rendered.

Production Side:
Should not be able to get files for free Taking the hard-earned money of people who work in the business Quality of music will be affected negatively Less will be produced because of loss of income Need to change to keep the publics interest

Consumer Side:
Saves us money and they have too much as it is Allows independent artists a creative medium

Why spend $15 to hear a cd without knowing it is worth it?

Doesnt hurt the artist, because most of the profits from album sales goes to the producer

Consumer Side(Contd):
Music will get better with more choice and musicians working hard for their money

Taking the hard-earned money of the consumer

From a liberal perspective: Stickin it to the man

Programmers Side
Thanks for keeping us in business!!!(Producers and consumers)

Are we actually stealing this information?

Most people know about copyrights, but many dont know about the fair use. This covers people who use code to advance and alter technology, people who burn cds, dvds, software. As long as you are not distributing this information or reselling it, you will probably not suffer any serious consequences

Fair Use in a Nutshell

The idea behind this is that as long as you are not taking away from the companys(or the creators) money, then youre fine. Use of part of someones code is okay as long as you have built upon it to make it better. Using the information to learn about something is okay. Pretty much anything without a profit for you or a serious loss for them will be overlooked.

Is it hurting the industry?

Many producers claim that music is being destroyed and the industry is crumbling. Why are most of the bands that dislike P2P also producers? Metallica, Dr. Dre, Limp Bizkitneed I say more. Most bands dont care, because they are not seeing most of the money from cds anyway. Many actually appreciated what it has done for music.

Legal Issues
Since the BetaMax came out, production studios have tried to sue as the solution. They tried to sue BetaMax for allowing to duplicate movies, which in turn, was not allowed because BetaMax took no part in what people did with their systems once they were on the market. If the general public wanted to illegally record copyrighted products, it was their fault

Napsters Fight, and Ultimate Demise

Eighteen record companies were involved in this case of copyright infringement. . This case drew a line in the sand about what is considered fair-use in this day in age. Napster tried many different defenses against the prosecutors, but none of them worked.

The Napster symbol

Attempts Napster Tried

The idea that it was fair use because of the fact that the users were using on a personal level, not selling the songs for any profit.

They claimed that their service was similar to a search engine due to the fact that they did not keep any of the songs on any of its computers, but instead linked people together through a search of a song in a peer-to-peer format.

Attempts Napster Tried (Contd)

In fact, no defense that they tried worked. They ended up getting sued and having to pay royalties to artists who are downloaded from their site, and therefore had to begin charging the customers. Many other sites have opened up overseas, because of the relaxed copyright laws in other countries

Dawning of a New Day

Because of this lawsuit, many other P2P sites have sprouted and emerged from the wake of Napster. Some of the benefactors are companies like Kazaa, Morpheus, Gnutella, MyNapster, Hotline, and BearShare

Conclusion
P2P file sharing has affected the world in ways many advancements could not It has affected the industry-consumer relationship It has done both good and bad for many parts of society

Most importantly, it has created many programming, testing, and software security jobs

References
INTERNET FILTER REVIEW, Jerry Ropelato http://www.internetfilterreview.com/peer-to-peer-file-sharing.html Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Copyright Law: A Primer for Developers, Fred von Lohmann http://iptps03.cs.berkeley.edu/final-papers/copyright.pdf INTERNET AND PERSONAL COMPUTING FADS, BY Mary Ann Bell, Mary Ann Berry, and James L. Van Roeker Computer-Mediated Communication: Human-to-Human Communication Across the Internet, by Susan B. Barnes