peer to peer networking

Well, clearly there's nothing inherently controversial about peer-to-peer networking and it can be a valuable tool. But that's not really fun to discuss. The legal implications are what everyone is interested in.

My view of P2P sites such as Kazaa and Napster (the one I use is soulseek) is sort of a vigilante ethic. I feel absolutely no guilt in downloading crappy movies and music from major corporations because in turn, they're basically media monopolies. I would probably feel guilty if I paid for certain terrible songs I like anyway.

However, with smaller bands I realize the money is probably actually going to the band and whatnot, so I don't mind purchasing their CDs. If I really like something, I'll buy it. If anything, I think P2P networks can be used to help artists and filmmakers disperse their product to an audience who would otherwise not be exposed, no different than a library. I think the legal implications are pretty clear cut...it is technically stealing. It gets murky if you actually own what you're dispersing though. Regardless, the technology isn't going away and companies need to learn to harness rather than fight it. Interestingly, Radiohead's new release is going to be downloadable for whatever price you choose so I think they're no longer struggling with this legal intellectual property battle.