As most of our visitors will know the RIAA has recently said that it plans to sue hundreds of people using file-sharing (P2P) software. As a result, software, such as Blubster , has emerged that promises to give P2P users anonymity on file-sharing networks. On the News.com website we can find some interesting information on this. Our thanks goes to Savannah for submitting this news:
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In response to the possible threat to file swappers of litigation or even criminal prosecution, some companies have begun to offer products they say will make filing a lawsuit against file swappers more difficult. Last week, for instance, a peer-to-peer service named Blubster announced a new version of its software that it touted as a "new, secure, decentralized, self-assembling network that provides users with private, anonymous accounts." Consumers hoping for a painless way to hide their identity on peer-to-peer networks may be disappointed, however. For example, Blubster does not conceal the telltale IP addresses used to connect to the file-swapping service, meaning copyright investigators can, in practice, unmask anyone on its system. Blubster counters that, in practice, its system will still make it more difficult for RIAA investigators to figure out the total number of files an individual is offering for download, as it does not list the files at a specific IP address. On the other hand, Blubster's method would not block a software program that maps the network by performing thousands of automated searches. Because the RIAA will seek to sue the most flagrant infringers, the thinking goes, its investigators may target peer-to-peer networks that make such information available--without requiring as much discovery effort. |
The article
has a lot more interesting information on the current development of people wanting to be anonymous on file-sharing networks. I wonder what the RIAA's actions will be when they encounter an increased number of anonymous users on the networks.
Source: CNET News.com
