Future of peer-to-peer file sharing networks remains uncertain

Many developers might be moving toward providing content legally for a fee.

on the heels of Sharman Networks’ $115 million settlement with major movie studios last month, the peer-to-peer community is in a tizzy, with its future uncertain.

Sharman Networks owns and distributes Kazaa Media Desktop, once among the most popular peer-to-peer applications on the planet. A peer-to-peer system allows individual users to directly transfer bits of or entire files to another user.

The future is unclear for peer-to-peer, especially for those who get free music and movies, as the main developers of peer-to-peer software are trending toward providing media legally and for a price.

Phil Armstrong, a spokesman for Sharman Networks, said the company decided to settle as it is eager to move forward with the “next generation” of peer-to-peer software.

Related Posts

1. How the spin doctors spun a tale about peer to peer file sharing and piracy
2. Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Copyright Law after Napster
3. States Weigh Warning to Peer-To-Peer Networks
4. Lindows routes OS over file-sharing networks
5. The Future of the Internet As related to File Sharing and Class Struggle