I want to download music and movies using peer to peer (i.e., p2p) sharing. What issues should I be aware of?
The following issues should be considered: a. Are you legally downloading/copying the music/movie or is your action resulting in copyright infringement? You can suffer serious consequences for illegal downloading including losing University network access, losing housing, temporary suspension, expulsion and civil suit by the copyright holder or their agent (e.g., Recording Industry Association of America). b. The use of peer to peer applications open your computer to others. Your computer could be compromised if the application has vulnerabilities that allow worms, viruses, trojans, and hackers to exploit it. c. Some peer to peer sharing licenses let companies use your computer to distribute pirated software, videos, or audio files. You are liable for activity originating from your computer. d. Many peer to peer applications, including downloading feature films, consumes a high volume of resources thereby impacting the entire network and other users.
