P2P

File sharing is an act which basically describes itself. Files are shared using digital media; sometimes over a local area network for work related documents, or other times, further on to friends, for software, music, movies, and other related reasons.  This act allows many people to access the same file, giving them the ability to view, share, modify, or copy it. One problem does arise; it is not always legal. The majority of mp3's or movies being shared are in violation of copyright law. The software that is shared is also subject to software piracy. However, this act of file sharing is not uncommon present day.

One type of file sharing that is most prevalent is P2P file sharing. It is "peer to peer" file sharing, where digital media becomes available to those accessing the same P2P network. One example of this is BitTorrent, one of the most successful P2P programs in history. It allows users to upload and download files from the size of a simple mp3, to sizes thousands of times as big. It should also be noted that this happens at extremely fast speeds, leaving very limited wait time. These files include music, television shows, movies, software, and much more. However, according to the article "The BitTorrent Effect", the crackdown of this program began, as those downloading movies were being caught and struck with piracy charges. Although very convenient for users, it is also very illegal, and hurts the individuals who work hard to release this content. This article was written in 2005, and even twelve years later, BitTorrent is surprisingly still around, running strongly.