File Sharing Issues

Introduction
Online file sharing has been around ever since networks have been in use. There is nothing new with file sharing now other than the vast amount of files currently being shared. Even though what is currently shared is not all legal, and some are borderline in its legality, no matter what an industry can try, file sharing is here to stay. Although a file sharing giant may come down there are numerous other applications just waiting to take its place. One may argue that it is the industries fault like the RIAA for not using the Internet medium for its benefit when it was first started up, instead avoiding it altogether for a channel of distribution.
To understand the issues concerning file sharing, one must first have a basic understanding on how it works. “The peer-to-peer computing model is not new, but has recently become a commonplace among the average computer user due to the introduction of applications like Napster and Gnutella.” (McKean, 2001) A basic...