File sharing

File sharing is the practice of giving or letting people see digital media, such as computer programs, multimedia (audio, images and video), documents or electronic books. People use many ways to share files, including removable media, servers on computer networks, Internet-based hyperlinked documents, and peer-to-peer networking.

File sharing technologies, such as BitTorrent, are important today. They help people share information quickly around the world. Some people use these tools to share free content, like scientific data.

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of file sharing.

Files were first shared using removable media. Early ways to share files included filesystem mounting, bulletin board systems (1978), Usenet (1979), and FTP servers (1970s). Later, Internet Relay Chat (1988) and Hotline (1997) let people talk and share files over long distances.

In 1999, Napster became the first popular way for people to share files directly with each other. Other systems like Gnutella, eDonkey2000, and Freenet followed. These new ways made it easier for anyone to share music and other files, even without a central server. As these systems grew, they had some legal problems with companies that owned the content.

Types

Peer-to-peer file sharing lets computers connect directly to share files. Popular services like Napster and LimeWire used this method. Today, BitTorrent is a common way to share files this way.

Cloud-based services make sharing easy. You put files in a special folder, and you can access them from the web or mobile apps. Services like Dropbox and Google Drive are well known for this. Private file sharing is used in companies or schools, where only certain people can see the files. This helps keep information safe and organized.

Academic file sharing

Sharing schoolwork online has become a big topic for many schools. Companies like Chegg and Course Hero have caused some worry because some people think they go against academic integrity. Because of this, many schools now have clear rules for students and teachers about sharing school materials.

Public opinion of file sharing

In 2004, about 70 million people were sharing files online. A survey in 2003 found that many people thought it was okay to share music if you owned the CD and only shared it with a few friends. Younger people, especially those between 18 and 29 years old, were even more likely to feel this way.

A study in 2012 showed that most people thought musicians should accept file sharing as a way to promote and share their work. This idea was called "cyber socialism."

Main article: cyber socialism Main articles: cyber-utopia

Economic impact

File sharing has changed music sales in different ways. Some studies say it hurts sales, while others find it has little effect. File sharing might help popular artists stay on charts longer, but it can be harder for new artists to get noticed.

Because of file sharing, many companies now offer their content legally online. Services like Netflix have become very popular. These services sometimes become more popular than file-sharing networks like BitTorrent.

Copyright issues

Main article: Legal aspects of file sharing

File sharing can sometimes break copyright laws. In the United States, some of these cases have gone to the Supreme Court. For example, in MGM v. Grokster, the court decided that creators of file-sharing networks can be responsible if their tools are mostly used for breaking copyright laws.

But not all file sharing is illegal. Works in the public domain can be shared freely. Even items protected by copyright may sometimes be shared with permission. Some artists, publishers, and record labels allow sharing of certain works to promote their material, supporting free content and file sharing as a way to reach more people.