P2P File Sharing

File sharing is the sharing of a piece or a whole computer data or space on a network. P2P file sharing is peer-to-peer file sharing, which means network users share files among one another without the control of a central server. It is also more resistant to lawsuits as no central server is involved in such act. Some examples for old P2P file sharing networks include BitTorrent and Gnutella. The famous file sharing sites that I have heard of are Piolet, FrostWire, uTorrent and iMesh. Although P2P is good for sharing files, it can also be risky as people can spread viruses and malwares through these apps. This is undeniably the source of pirate files.

In the example of "Digital Pirates Winning  Battles With Studios" by NYtimes.com , Warner Brothers tried to protect "The Dark Knight" from piracy but failed miserably. There are always anonymous pirates who put the files online so million of people can view it illegally. Because of new technology, it is very easy to stream pirate movies. The very first attack on pirated videos started on Youtube.com , where people can make fake accounts to upload videos for the whole world to access. It hurt the entertainment industry severely. Although the industry somewhat succeeded in taking down illegal movies from YouTube, the movies are still easily accessible to general public. You will be amazed how many sites you can find by just typing " *insert movie name* " and "watch online free". However, as they say "nothing is free", there are certain risks to watch pirate movies. Even if you don't get caught, you can lose all your files and your information can be leaked from viruses through such unregulated files.

More reference:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/business/media/05piracy.html?_r=0