Shortly
after the shutdown of Napster back in 2001, FastTrack has been the number one
decentralised file sharing network that took its place. Kazaa which uses
the FastTrack has also been the number one downloaded software package from
Download.com until it
decided to stop using it as its main software download mirror. However according to BayTSP the network itself has been the most popular file sharing network up until recently.
With Kazaa being the top network for file sharing, it quickly became the number one target of RIAA lawsuits. Since the lawsuits began, Kazaa usage gradually declined with many users changing to other alternative
networks while the RIAA concluded that overall P2P usage was on the
decline. BayTSP has been monitoring file sharing network usage over the
past 18 months and found that eDonkey/Overnet usage was on the rise and has now
taken the number one spot with an average of 2.54 million users per day, leaving
Kazaa in the next spot with 2.48 million. However, actual Kazaa
usage may be much smaller due to the amount of bogus accounts in use by
the entertainment industries to share fake content.
While BitTorrent is also tracked by BayTSP and a very popular network particularly for large files, BayTSP cannot determine how many users use this network due to tracking being more complex compared with most other P2P networks. GristyMcFisty submitted the following news via our news submit:
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According to online tracking firm BayTSP, the daily average of file-swappers on the FastTrack peer-to-peer network, which includes Kazaa and related programs, was surpassed for the first time by users on the eDonkey/Overnet network. EDonkey/Overnet averaged 2.54 million users a day while FastTrack averaged 2.48 million, the firm claimed. Kazaa users make up the largest proportion of FastTrack. It seems that the loss to Kazaa is eDonkey's gain. We should point out that while its figures might be correct, BayTSP started monitoring the file-sharing networks 18 months ago for piracy on behalf of film and music companies. Kazaa distributor Sharman Networks has been one of the main targets of lawsuits and monitoring by the entertainment industry. The recording industry has been suing thousands of Kazaa users. It would be nice to have some figures that show that it all has some meaning. However if they are just moving to eDonkey, it just shows how pointless it all is. |
The music industry may see a decline in Kazaa usage as a sign that their lawsuits are finally working out well, however like the shutdown of Napster many former Kazaa users have just found another file sharing network to use or other methods of obtaining music without purchase. With a wide range of file sharing networks in use now, this makes tracking users a more difficult task and lawsuits becoming even less effective. While Kazaa may have lost its #1 position in overall P2P usage now, eDonkey and other networks were already starting to overtake Kazaa usage outside of the US a year ago.
Probably the biggest mistake for the music industry was to shutdown the original Napster file sharing network. A better alternative would be to have gradually made Napster into a legal service. For example start with small monthly membership fees to compensate the artists and over time gradually make changes such that the network would become a major profit source without resorting to crippled DRM tracks like the replacement Napster today.
However, the music industry done a major disaster by shutting down the original network, suing potential customers who went on alternatives leaving the majority of former original Napster users now trying to avoid the music industry either by finding other P2P networks to get their music from or finding other alternative forms of entertainment.
Feel free to discuss and find out more about file sharing on our Music Downloads, P2P & Legal Issues Forum.
Source: The Inquirer
