FILE SHARING THROUGH PEER TO PEER NETWORKS

With the growth of technology and the world wide web, we have seen the emergence of so many P2P file sharing networks, with some individuals developing softwares and providing necessary equipments such as serves to promote this file sharing system. some of these sharing networks include Ares, BitTorrent, UTorrent, Transmission, Tomato, LimeWire and many others.

Having said that when does file sharing amount to copyright infringement, and who is to blame for if at all there is copyright violation associated with them. there are three parties involved here, the server-program provider, the uploader and the downloader? where do you fall?

Server-program developer - file sharing is not in anyway wrong, and providing facilities for such cannot be wrong as well. if there is anything it has more good to it, allowing hundreds of people to connect together and share a wealth of information, be it music video or publications. Many of these developers, do distance themselves from any materials put in their servers by putting a clause in the terms and conditions of usage, as well as normally writing few warnings in relation to copyright, yet they do little to monitor the contents. In simple they due to that clause they can not be held liable for any copyright information in their servers unless if it is proven that they deliberately allowed copyrighted materials in their servers.

Users - we have two sets of users here, the uploaders and the downloaders, uploaders put materials which they think or believe its worth sharing with others on these networks, while some of these materials are copyrighted others are not. Now here come a question-does uploading a copyrighted material which you obtained legitimately violation of copyright, in my view i think no. While normally buying these copyrighted CD'S, books, you agree to be bound by their terms and conditions of usage, that also becomes your property, why should it not be wrong to borrow someone a book you bought but wrong to put it in a file sharing network so they can see it without the trouble of coming to you house to collect it. isn't this some form of inconsistency. In short uploaders as well shall not be held liable for any form of sharing.

Downloaders- these are the people who use uploaded materials, and straight away i feel they are the ones who are to blame for copyright violation, downloaders put the materials there out of goodwill, so these group of people should just use is as per their needs and stop there rather than keep the file in their computers and redistributing them. A downloaded copyrighted material will never be your property as such how you use it should be limited, in short it is basically for you to view, nothing more.

In conclusion, while its difficult for me to condemn file sharing as i have benefited from it, i cannot ignore the great effects of it in crippling so many business, it is unfortunate scenario because as much as it has lead to the collapse of many business units and affected earning of upcoming stars, who end up giving up, i also think it is not wrong to share these copyrighted or so proclaimed intellectual materials because if allowed freely i see more harm than good towards society. Overall i am indifferent between this copyright and file sharing