Comment: File sharing is peerless

By Paul Trotter

Posted on 2 Aug 2005 at 15:27

As well as content delivery, these networks provide a new way for people to collaborate, as shown by the availability of P2P networks that provide communication (VoIP), teaching and anti-spam services.

So while the Supreme Court's decision may spell the end of file sharing as we know it, it's time to separate the illegal uses of P2P from the fundamental benefits of the underlying technology. Much the same as I've upgraded my Fiat and have designs on an even faster car, I've switched from the murky world of illegal P2P services and I'm looking forward to the widespread availability of increasingly innovative applications for this technology.

It could be time you swapped Grokster, Morpheus and Kazaa for one of the new breed of P2P networks. If enough people do, the Supreme Court's ruling will be deemed a victory rather than a defeat for file swapping.