Goodbye Dear Friend

Busman747 · 20-09-2006, 18:32

The following statement, taken "word for word" from a newsletter that I received recently indicates that p2p will soon be disappearing!

I KNOW that certain members would be celebrating the demise of p2p, but many others including myself will miss it for a variety of reasons

.Last week, prominent P2P network eDonkey announced it was settling a copyright-infringement lawsuit brought by the Recording Industry Association of America for $300 million and closing up shop forever. Users who clicked a button to update their eDonkey2000 software reported the "update" initiated an uninstallation of the product. Visitors to the eDonkey Web site are now greeted by an intentionally blunt message advising surfers they are not anonymous online (and playfully proving it by displaying visitor IP addresses).

Only a month ago, we learned that former top file-sharing program Kazaa settled with the RIAA for $115 million, and that current top P2P application LimeWire was being sued for an estimated $476 million. The LimeWire case is expected to go to court next month.

The demise of the original Napster file-sharing program marked an immediate rise in decentralized peer-to-peer networks. Now it seems that U.S. copyright law and other influences are causing file sharers to drift toward the non-node-connected BitTorrent protocol, which allows users to download one file from multiple sources simultaneously. The legality of various BitTorrent software and "tracker" sites is still undecided, but a recent partnership between Warner Bros. and BitTorrent indicates the technology is integrating with mainstream Hollywood.

It appears as if the one-two punch of suing individual file-sharers and the companies that develop peer-to-peer technology may have ended the long reign of conventional P2P networks.

I wonder what other technologies will replace p2p? How would the RIAA cope with an internet radio like "screamer radio" that has the facility to record the music played and place it on your computer as individual tracks? There are a variety of web sites that allow music to be d/loaded in a matter of seconds, especially 60's and 70's which is unavailable from the record companies.

Can the RIAA ultimately control the d/load of music?

Madhatter · 22-09-2006, 15:52

I've never used either p2p or bit torrent.

andrewb · 03-10-2006, 10:21

They can never stop people. The way the RIAA go about things is silly and just trying to scare people.

"We know where you live and we're coming to get you" pretty much sums up the RIAAs tactics

entwisi · 03-10-2006, 11:38

The music industry could stop people from using music download software by making it uneconomical to mess with it. If a song was a few pence then would you risk all teh legality rubbish of P2P style sharing? I don't use it mysef but if songs were pennies then I'd definately go that way.

Its not like they have any media/distribution/etc costs with Internet downloads and with adverst and a minor charge system they could easily make their money.

WillowTheWhisp · 03-10-2006, 12:31

When it comes to old, deleted obscure stuff then p2p is sometimes the only way. I think of that in much the same way as lending a video to a friend when I've recorded a TV prog that I wasn't able to watch at the time and neither were they. It's not like you could actually buy it anywhere so you haven't done anybody out of any royaties.

One interesting example of the benefits of P2P is that Busman discovered a Scandinavian band neither of us had ever heard of before and now we're firm fans - all due to something someone recorded from the radio originally and then shared.