Is P2P File Sharing Different?
For many people, P2P file sharing falls somewhere in between. Downloading copyrighted songs and movies is illegal, as it violates U.S. copyright law (other countries have similar laws). The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has led an aggressive campaign against file sharers since 2003, filing more than 20,000 lawsuits against individuals. In a recent landmark case, twelve jurors found in favor of the RIAA and said the defendant, a Minnesota woman, “must pay $9,250 for each of 24 shared songs . . . amounting to $220,000 in penalties.” Despite the RIAA’s attempts to the contrary, illegal file sharing is as popular as ever. According to Big Champagne Online Media, there are over 9 million “simultaneously connected unique” file sharers online at any time (as of May 2007). Since that number does not include everyone who engages in such activities (people may disconnect when not actively downloading), the actual number of illegal file sharers is probably much higher.
