P2P File Sharing

File sharing is the practice of or ability to transmit files from one computer to another over a network or the Internet. File sharing is the public or private sharing of computer data or space in a network with various levels of access privilege. Files can easily be shared outside a network. The term file sharing almost always refers to sharing files in a network, even if it is a small local area network. File sharing allows a number of people to use the same file or file by some combination of being able to read or view it, write to or modify it, copy it, or print it. Typically, a file sharing system has one or more administrators. Users may all have the same or may have different levels of access privilege. File sharing can also mean having an allocated amount of personal file storage in a common file system.

P2P (Peer-to-peer file sharing) file sharing allows users to access media files such as books, music, movies, and games using a P2P software program that searches for other connected computers on a P2P network to locate the desired content. The nodes (peers) of such networks are end-user computers and distribution servers (not required). P2P file sharing is different from regular file downloading. In P2P sharing, you use a software program, rather than your Web browser, to locate computers that have the file you want. Because these are just regular as opposed to servers they are known as peers. This is how the process works: you run P2P file sharing software on your computer and send out a request for the file you want to download. In order to locate the file, the software on other computers that are connected to the Internet and running the file sharing software. When the software locates a computer that has the file you want on its hard drive, the download begins. Others using the file sharing can obtain files they want to from your computer's hard drive.  The file-transfer load is distributed between the computers exchanging files, but file searches and transfers from your computer to others can cause trouble. Some people download files and immediately disconnect without allowing others to obtain files from their system, which is called leeching. This limits the number of computers the software can search for the requested file.

Example of P2P file sharing:

-BitTorrent is one of the most popular peer-to-peer file sharing protocols used on the Internet and it accounts for a significant amount of traffic on the Internet.
-Tribler, developed at the Delft University of Technology and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, is an open source social interactive Peer-to-Peer client with integrated search engine, video and audio player.
-Pando is a personal P2P program, much like BitTorrent but geared toward those looking for a simple and secure means of file transfer. Users may email, IM, or post to their website a .pando file. When the intended recipient downloads the .pando file, the Pando software contacts an secure Pando server (much like the “tracker” in the BitTorrent system) and allows the sender to initiate a direct P2P transfer to the recipient.
-Freecast is a P2P streaming audio broadcasting program. Typically, residential Internet connections have a much lower upload capacity than download capacity. Thus, it was impossible in the past for residential users to broadcast personal audio streams to more than one user at a time.
-Joost distributes TV and other video shows for free over the web using P2P and has major contracts with Viacom, Fox, Warner Music, Indiapolis Speedway Productions, Ministry of Sound TV, Aardman Animation, Warner Music, CBS, CNN, Sony Pictures.

On his blog, Jamie King explains why content producers should take advantage of P2P and not be afraid of it. He continues by explaining why they are so helpful. Jamie King states "as creators, we need to stop asking how to stop people from enjoying our work and start asking how to help them do it. Given the right opportunities, we believe they will help us in turn" (Jamie King).

Works Cited 

https://econsultancy.com/nma-archive/56421-content-producers-should-take-advantage-of-p2p-not-fear-it