Community poll forum: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials?

The way they blame file sharing for piracy, they could just as easily blame the Internet and web pages for piracy, because there's just as much, if not more files being served on web pages than on file sharing networks. If they're going to make file sharing illegal, they should make tape recorders, DVD/CD burners, PC sound cards, VCRs, PVR's, and basically anything else with recording capabilities, illegal too. Because all those devices could just as easily be blamed for piracy too.

It's just easier for the companies to go after a very popular central location for trading. And right now, that's file sharing networks. But it doesn't do much good, because another will pop right up. Look what shutting down napster did. It didnt stop anything and the file trading went from one basically centralized location, sharing only music, to spread all over the internet and sharing nearly everything.

These networks, just like web sites, could so easily be used for businesses and other legitimate uses. The companies are just too lazy to figure out how to do it, they just want to keep everything the way it is working now, they seem to be afraid of change. But with the way things are going, I think the people are more forcing the companies to change, because if they don't they're going to leave them in the dust.

A similar thing happened years ago with the VCR. Because the movie industry acted the same way when the VCR first came out. They were oh, so afraid that no one would go see movies in theaters and people would copy each other's movies, and the industry would go bankrupt. Yet, here we are 30 years later, they fixed copyright laws, didn't destroy the technology, and now they have VCR's and DVD's to thank for making them a great deal richer. Imagine what would have happened had the movie industry got their way and destroyed the technology.

NASA is full of smart people who know a good protocol when they see it. So they use Bittorrent to distribute large programs and data blocks. Like the Mars Rover control program Maestro and the big data chunks for it.
Or World Wind, the KILLER APP for those with DSL or CABLE and fast computers. It allows you to visually zoom in from orbit to most anywhere on Earth. Available at http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/

So it's not the P2P tool that's bad, it's how you use the tool. Eh?

If RIAA and the rest of the entertainment industry were really serious about copyright, they would develop their own media, lock, stock and barrel from scratch, that couldn't be copied or hacked and they would only have the problem of convincing idiots to pay through the nose for it. They're too cheap to do that though, or maybe too stupid. They want to take what others have developed, pay 2 cents on the dollar for it, and then prohibit everybody else from using it in any way other than how they see fit. They're thieves from the top down, whining about the thieves taking from them.

I belive the sharing programs recieved a bad rep. by people who abuse them.They are a very useful tool when sharing large files in a network,also when trading multimedia files.
Good question to ask,Iam glad some people are asking them.

I am an artist and get my art work copied and sold. It's a fact of life. The way I look at it is that it is free advertising (so long as my name shows).
As far as music goes, I have over 3,000 CDs bought and paid for, and several hundred videos. I scan for music that is obscure or music I want to try. A few times I've copied music to make a compilation to fit my moods. I know many musicians who are on the fringe and love to see their music being "shared".
Remember the heavy metal bank (no pun) that prosecuted for P2P piracy? I'm sure some of you do. I was so P.O.'d I trashed the CDs I had of theirs and refuse to buy any new ones.
Movies are copied to, but have you seen the results. Half the time you don't get what you are thinking you are getting. You get CD girls do Columbia instead of the movie you searched for. You also get viruses.
Finally with regards to software, I do download and scan what I get. If I like the program, I'll go out and buy it 90% of the time. There is lots of crappy programs out there as you are all aware of.
My last note is pirate away folks. Just remember to support the good guys and I think you all know who I mean!
No matter what, there is going to be piracy. No amount of policing or ratting will end it. Technology will always catch up and new ways of sharing will come about.
I personally don't mind paying a small % on blank CD's and DVD's to be shared by the music studios and musicians.
Let's keep the damn net free. Ooooops, too late you say?
Good luck folks.
Joe the Bear

I'm a firm believer in the utility of P2P / File Sharing Programs. Like anything else in the world you are bound to have a good tool or technology being used by people for a wide variety of uses. However in the case of these applications, people tend to focus on the illegal sharing of copyrighted material.

Sure these tools can be used by those looking to exchange illegally obtained copyrighted material but they can also be used for legetimate purposes. Case in point, product manuals, reasearch materials etc.

But trying to take the moral "high" ground about these applications is like blaming cars for traffic accidents, Fastfood for heart disease and Television for violence etc. It's not the tool, it's who and how it's used that is important.

Software distributers are making to much money anyway! Lower the price and people won't have to steal it!