big network where every user has equal status. When u search it finds files and tries to download bits from each user that has that file. Equaly, other users will be downloading bits of files u have, if thats what they are downloading. Basicly

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) filesharing is when at least two computers transfer one or more files via Internet without sending the files through a common server. The computers does not use domains (like prodigits.co.uk) to address each other, they only use IP-addresses. There may, or may not, be a common server to provide software for the P2P and to assist users in finding each other (exchanging IP-addr.).

P2P per se is fully legal as someone may transfer files that has been made oneself, files that has no copyright protection, files that has Creative Commons License etc. However, P2P is often used illegally to transfer files with copyright protection like music and movies. Some Internet providers put in place obstacles against P2P. Depending on where they are located that may be an illegal action.

Hindering most P2P traffic may be an easy way for Internet providers to avoid being accused of assisting illegal file-sharing activities but there may be other motives behind too. File sharing, be it P2P or torrents, is causing high traffic loads and since Internet providers have a hard time financing the ever-increasing capacity of networks then getting rid of most P2P use would seem tempting.

There are various ways of doing file sharing but the two basic ways is: 1. Transferring whole files. This may lead to someone having downloaded a complete file having ten other Internet users downloading it from your computer. Or to put it in another way, your computer UPLOADS it ten times after downloading it once. Now, it this was copyrighted material then you have distributed ten copies without

Now, if this was copyrighted material then you have distributed ten copies without even knowing it (unless you have gone deep into settings of the software and read the terms in details). 2. The other important way of file-sharing is using torrents that downloads various parts of a file from different computers rather than downloading the file from one source.

Such torrents is managed by a central server that also is the origin of the files to be shared. This server could as an example be BBC. BBC would then first provide the torrent software (for free). Then they would send various pieces of a file to different Internet users. The torrents in the each of the computers would then exchange the lacking pieces of a file in a manner managed by BBC.

If anyone leave the Internet then there's other connected computers to take over the role of being distributor for the piece that was supposed to have been distributed by the computer that left (before the file-sharing completed). Torrents does at least double the Internet traffic of an Internet user seeking to obtain a file (downloading the file in pieces once, and multiple upload of a piece).

While doubling Internet traffic torrents reduces traffic on the server. In the BBC example: if a file is divided into more than ten pieces then BBC could reduce number of servers needed by an order of magnitude. The doubling of Internet traffic can be compensated for by BBC selecting IP-addresses of Internet users that are close to each each other (when assigning file sharing participants).

Torrents have the advantage that you know where the software is coming from (when using a known download site). There's always a possibility of viruses etc in software and using torrents you only get viruses from the download site hahaha. All public file-sharing involves spreading of IP-addresses. They may be used by hackers to mount an attack on your computer (even without any virus etc).