P2P File Sharing

File sharing can be described as a process in which computer users use internet technology as a network medium to link their computers in order to transfer useful data including songs, movies, and software between computers in distant locations. The internet was developed based on the principle of linking computers and sharing information. This technology has expanded and is now being used by millions of people all over the world. The rising use of file sharing has led to illegal uses in order to obtain expensive software and digital assets for free. High demand for digital products led to improvements in this internet based technology, primarily P2P file sharing. As explained in Online Piracy and the Emergence of New Business Models by David Y. Choi,  P2P file sharing involves "computer users using the internet as a channel for copying files stored on someone else's hard drive". This type of technology is known as a bittorrent, which enables users to access other users' hard drives in order to extract the necessary files that, when put together, make up an entire software program, song, movie, or video game. Bittorrents actually extract data file bits from multiple computers in order to minimize the time spent downloading the files. The more machines doing the work, the quicker the job will get done. This technology was made popular by a famous software called Napster that allowed users to download bootleg copies of music for free. Napster was eventually shut down, but other sites emerged including Kazaa, Pirate Bay, and Utorrent. The preceding examples of file sharing tools are all illegal and provide users with free data, but this technology has led to the creation of legal technologies that were built based on the same fundamental function. Apple created iTunes, which uses the same concept as the illegal forms of file sharing. The difference is users must pay for the digital products that they desire. Illegal downloading and digital piracy has led to sales losses of up to $20 billion per year. Many organizations and governments have attempted to crack down on illegal digital piracy, but the global use of this technology has made it almost impossible to eliminate this practice. Other technologies including Peer Guardian are used to distort or scramble one's IP address when downloading illegally, making it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace who is downloading.