File sharing is the act of providing access to digitally stored material via either a peer-to-peer network or a file hosting program. Until recently, file sharing has been frowned upon because it is responsible for a decrease in sales in a variety of industries. However, according to the article in the Financial Times "Valley View: File Sharing Joins the Mainstream" by Chris Nuttall, file sharing is becoming more common. The legal twist on this type of file sharing is that it includes ad space, which creates revenue for the companies that are otherwise losing money from the practices of illegal file sharing.
What is P2P file sharing?
P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing involves the process of file sharing via a peer-to-peer network. This basically means that the files on one computer are uploaded via an open network that can be accessed by any other computer (aka - one of your peers). P2P file sharing has been perhaps the biggest culprit in the decline of sales in the various entertainment industries because instead of having to pay for music, movies and books, thanks to P2P file sharing, people can get them for free.
What are some examples of P2P file sharing?
Perhaps the first mainstream example of P2P file sharing was Napster. Other P2P file-sharing applications include KaZaa, Ares, Gnutella, BitTorrent (an example used in the previously mentioned Financial Times article.) Users can download these programs for free (one exception: Napster is now a paid service) and begin downloading anything from movies to music. During my teenage years I downloaded all of my music from a P2P file-sharing program known as Shareaza. Within 20 minutes and without paying a dime I was able to increase my music library by 100-200 songs. I downloaded movies as well. Sometimes the files that are available on these programs lack in quality (I would get live versions, or half of the song, or the entire movie in German) so they aren't perfect. However, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
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