New file-sharing sites hide users’ IDs

New file-sharing sites hide users’ IDs



Trying to avoid detection



Yet the campaign could result in the proliferation of file-sharing services that outfox efforts to detect the users’ identity.



“If the recording industry succeeds in their goal of making large numbers of people feel unsafe in their file sharing, it’s a safe bet that someone will come along to fill the sudden demand for an easy, safer way to use P2P,” said Adrian Lamo, 22, a communications researcher from San Francisco.



For now, many users of file-sharing services said they took some precautions, but remained undeterred.



“I don’t think that I trade in the volumes that they would be interested in,” said Alec Cumming, 24, a Los Angeles film restorer who estimates he has 200 downloaded songs on his computer. “If they really went after me, I would pretty likely stop. I’m not making any money off of it.”



Others hoped to skirt the RIAA’s sweep, which is initially targeted at those who share “substantial” collections of MP3 files, by simply disabling the sharing feature on their software — something the RIAA hopes will mean fewer songs available on the networks.



“I turned (the feature) off because they’re on their witch hunt, and I think the witch hunt will die off and prove to be just that,” said Jeff Gregory, a Web editor in North Palm Beach, Florida, who uses Kazaa.



Trading copied CDs



Leigh said the industry’s strategy overlooks the impact of CD burning. If the industry squelches file sharing, he said, young music fans will simply trade copies of CDs.



While such a scenario would be an improvement for an industry now seeing millions of music files shared worldwide, Leigh said it underscores how the exchange of music on some level won’t go away.



There are 200 million CD burners in use currently, Leigh said. “And the kids are not going to stop using them.”



Source: CNN

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