I don’t know how many people have continued to download “illegal” mp3s since Napster’s collapse, but there is a program on the internet at the moment which works in a similar way to Napster, that has been the most downloaded program on the internet for something like the last 14 weeks. I don’t want to name the program, because I know that there are mods in this forum that eagerly punce on the threads that mention anything even remotely associated to something illegal, but my question is…
Why is this program allowed to continue to be in use? Why hasn’t it been sanctioned against like with Napster?
AFAIK this program does not have a central server as did Napster. The meain reason RIAA could taget Napster was that everything went through their servers. This ‘other’ program uses the users own PC as a server. So there is no central location to shut down. The only way to stop it again AFAIK is to shut down the whole Internet.
I can’t find the cite, but I remember reading in the NYTimes about 2-3 weeks ago that the music industry IS gearing up to sue the distributed network(s), they just needed to get Napster out of the way first. And if you’re thinking of the program I’m thinking of, the music people may have a lot of help - that program downloads a variety of copyrighted material that numerous industries have a stake in.
Patricinus, I have no idea what the legal effect of a distributed system versus a central server will have on the lawsuits, but I would imagine that the plaintif(s) will be suing for imposition of filters to block copyrighted material, not trying to shut down the whole system. And you could, of course, force individual distributors of easy-to-use programs that access this net to stop distributing those programs, thereby putting access beyond the technical skill of most people.
Yes, like Patricinus Scriblerus mentioned, Napster uses a centralized server. When you log on to the Napster network, the names of your files and your user ID are uploaded to the Napster servers. When someone else wants to do a search, the search request goes directly to these servers. Search requests are processed very quickly, since all the filenames are grouped in one place. Once a match is found for your search, the client software on your computer establishes a direct connection to the other persons computer to retrieve the file.
The newer file sharing programs have NO centralized servers at all. When you go online, your computer joins a network, acting as both server and client, relaying search requests from any other computer on the network. A user can become part of this network at will and then disappear later on, which is something a corporation with dedicated servers can’t do easily (which makes them an easy target for lawyers).
When someone begins a search on a point-to-point network, that search is tagged with a temporary ID number to identify their computer. If someones search matches something you have in your shared folders, your computer will either respond with a hit (using the searchers ID number to reply), or pass on the search request to any other computers it is currently connected to. Search requests can take much longer on point-to-point networks because the request has to propagate through many computers instead of going through a central server.
Downloading an actual file works in the same manner as Napster, the software sets up a direct connection between the two computers.
One technique the RIAA is using to shut down distributed networks is to pressure ISPs to shut down their users that are sharing files.
They do a search for copyrighted material, then note the IP address and time when a certain user is sharing the material. Then they find out the ISP from the IP, and send a nastygram to the ISP with the IP and time. Including the time is important since most if not all ISPs assign IPs to usersd on a dynamic basic.
The response they get from the ISP varies, depending on the ISP. Some flatly tell the RIAA that they are not in the business of censoring their users. Other warn their users that they must stop sharing the material or get cut off. One ISP, Adelphia, actually shuts the user down without warning.
I’m pretty sure I read this info from a ZDnet article.
No, I believe he is reffering to any program that runs on the network named after a Hazelnut flavored snack spread (G******a). BTW why are we dancing around the names?
The RIAA is also trying to shut down the peer-to-peer networks by launching denial of service attacks against them. They tried to sneak a rider onto the ‘anti-terror’ bill that would have prevented them from being held responsible for damages caused by their attacks.
My already low opinion of them sank even lower when I heard this.
The whole RIAA thing has me a bit confused. Personally I have actually purchased more CD’s this year from a music store than any of the previous Pre-Napster years. The reason… It is the easy availability of different kinds of music that has got me. Napster and the P2P programs have exposed me to genres of music that I would not have listened to previously.
I discovered this year that I like listening to a lot of Spainish music and as a result I have purchased over 30 new CDs from my local mucic store.
I think what they are really afraid of is that they will lose control of the distribution network. If the distribution falls into the hands of the artist why bother with a middle man (RIAA)?
Not entirely. They share protocols and technology, but all are run by different companies. Morpheus, Kazaa, and Grokster all access the same database and use the same licensed technology but are seperate entities. Likewise Bearshare and Limewire both access the Gnutella network, and the remaining three have their own methods.
