# Why isn't Kazaa shut down too? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906 "2002-03-24T22:54:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hayduke\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Hayduke\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayduke_Lives)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/1 "2002-03-24T22:54:11Z")
They shut down Napster. So how come other similar sites like Kazaa/Morphius, and Donkey shut down also? ---
**Author:** ![Hayduke\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Hayduke\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayduke_Lives)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/2 "2002-03-24T22:55:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hayduke Lives!! \* > \*\*They shut down Napster. > So how come other similar sites like Kazaa/Morphius, and Donkey shut down also? \*\* Uh, that should say how come other similar sites are NOT shut down also. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/3 "2002-03-24T23:12:50Z")
Basically because Napster kept an active database of IP addresses containing MP3s to assist in people’s searches. Kaaza and Morpheus use what’s called a Gnutella network meaning that its all point to point. There’s no central server or service to shut down. They just rely on people who leave files available on their computers with an internet connection. ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/4 "2002-03-25T03:26:21Z")
Actually, Kazaa doesn’t use Gnutella. They have their own P2P engine. Morpheus just recently switched to Gnutella. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/5 "2002-03-25T05:26:05Z")
Also at least one of them is located on an island in the West Indies. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/6 "2002-03-25T05:37:29Z")
They are all being sued by the recording industry. So far Morpheus, Kazaa, etc. claim they are merely distributing software to set up decentralized networks, aka peer-to-peer (as opposed to server/client) networks. They claim they have no control over what the users do with this software. Unfortunately Morpheus crashed a few weeks ago, demonstrating that there are central servers that control the activity of all users to some extent, so they may be in trouble. Check[this Wired article](http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,50725,00.html) for more information. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/7 "2002-03-25T16:23:29Z")
I have to ask, file sharing and laws aside, isn’t it, well, dangerous to give others access to your hard drive? ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-kazaa-shut-down-too/99906/8 "2002-03-25T19:13:50Z")
In theory it is, but the other users of the network don’t have direct access to your drive, only to the files that you tell the client/server software that it can access. And it can only READ files unless you (i.e. the owner of the machine) specifically download a file.