P2P File Sharing

File sharing is the uploading, distribution, and downloading of digital content (such as documents, music, videos, pictures, etc.) between users online.  In the age of new media, distribution of content can reach larger audiences compared to physical distribution such as bookstores or libraries.  Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing is similar to file sharing, only the transferring process excludes a central server.  The downside to file sharing is the illegality of it all.  Most content shared and downloaded are music and movies.  The entertainment industry continues to suffer profit losses due to piracy and copyright infringement(s) (Stelter, Digital Pirates Winning Battle with Studios).  Today, users prefer to stream multimedia rather than download bits by bits (Nuttall, File sharing joins the mainstream).  A few examples of P2P file sharing websites include BitTorrent, The Pirate Bay, uTorrent (recommended by download.cnet.com), HFS-HTTP File Server, etc.  Although some may argue that file sharing can lead to illegal sharing, NMA (Content producers should take advantage of P2P, not fear it) encourages producers to give downloadable access to users for free or donation, so for more exposure and online trafficking.