The rise and rise of KAZAA peer 2 peer file sharing. 6

[guestgulkan]

I was to say the least , mildly surprised to see KAZAA media desktop software being given away on a freebie CDROM by a reputable PC magazine here in the UK.

AFAIK there is only one purpose behined KAZAA and that is p2p file sharing, also known as piracy.

As someone who also dabbles in computer repair, I would say at least 50% of the computers I see have the shiny green KAZAA shortcut on their desktop.

Yet I hear nothing from the record/media companies about this KAZAA network - but they went after NAPSTER with extreme malice.

 

[KimberTech]

They didn't go after Napster right away either, they have to have proof of wrongdoing before they can present a case.

Rest assured that once they have enough evidence, this one will bite the dust too..unless they have found a way to get around the laws....but I doubt it.
Kimber

The more I learn,I realize how much more there is to know!

 

[Tarwn]

Also, if I remember correctly, when those court proceedings began, Napster was the biggest name in p2p file sharing. My assumption would be they were trying to make an example out of the most well know company as well as get legal precedents on the books in order to take care of the smaller groups.

-Tarwn ________________________________________________
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[cdogg]

Actually in recent months, there has been plenty in the news about the RIAA vs. KAZAA. It is much harder to pin down the locations of heavy anti-piracy law violations using KAZAA, but the attorneys at RIAA are constantly coming up with ways. In the latest round of attacks, they plan on keeping a record of IP ranges where massive amounts of illegal file-swapping occur. With the help of the courts, they can begin to force ISP's to release information about their customers - names, addresses, IP addresses used during a given date span, etc., as a potential setup for prosecution.

Here's are some recent articles:

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/cnet/stories/981449.htm

http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/security/story/0,2000024985,20271579,00.htm

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1459748/20030129/index.jhtml?headlines=true

~cdogg

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein

 

[KimberTech]

Excellent post cdogg....

Perhaps Guestgulkan should send those links to the editor of the publication he was talking about...

Kimber

The more I learn,I realize how much more there is to know!

 

[guestgulkan]

Personally, I think fossilised organisations like the RIAA (or rather, the huge all powerful music conclomerate) are dead , they just don't realised it yet.
The internet/

http://www is

the nail in the coffin for the big recording studios once artistes finally wake up to the fact that they don't have to be shackled to any one particular music studio.

 

[edfair]

And how are the artists going to make their money? The big recording studios are the only thing that will keep the greedy ones alive. Once all of an artist's work is filed on the net their only source on income will be personal apperances. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[cdogg]

Ed,
I think that is a fair question. My guess is that major artist's will never have to worry about their record sales being too low. Even in this age of technology and piracy, artists are still able to sell millions of albums in a few short weeks.

If I like a song, I may download it. But if there's more than one song that I want on any given album, I'll buy it. A lot of people I know are the same way. Besides, it makes sense. Who wants to fork over $15 for an album that only has one good song?


~cdogg

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein

 

[drdebit]

So when the musician happens by your driveway where you're building a new computer, it's ok if they download it into their trunk when you go into the house for a break? After all you're a computer guy and you have lots of parts.

 

[skiflyer]

That argument is not so strong cdogg,

For one, consider what happens as technology advances and downloading a song is more reliable, faster and such that one unopposed by the record labels.

Then you can grab a whole album in less time than you currently grab one song.

However, I disagree with edfair as well... the record labels made the same argument when tape recorders were released and people could tape songs off the radio... now things are 10x easier, and the quality is 10x better. So they're worried again, with good reason. But they need to incorporate the new technology into their strategies... sell on a per song MP3 basis... charge a reasonable price and let it be downloaded.

Make it easy, and FAST, and add features... archive what people have paid for so if their computer blows up, they can just redownload it all (for example). The p2p filesharing programs are wretched... it takes way too much time to search out and download a file, and then someone might kill your download, or have swapped in another song with your title, or a whole host of other ways it can go haywire.

People are surprisingly willing to be honest when it's a narrow margin between honesty and stealing... when there's a big gain, we're surprisingly willing to steal.

Right or wrong, the record industries still need to embrace the new technology if they want to survive.

-Rob
(sorry, long beginning to my week, I know that's not the clearest of posts)

 

[drdebit]

I didn't know what kazaa was when I discovered Tek-Tips and I still don't really, but I've seen two things about it in the forums.

1> It appears to be a really good way to get a virus.

2> Forum responders present a wonderful ambivalence about it. There was a post in which a responder suggested going to Kazaa and obtaining a particular file. He was chastized for proposing an illegal action and I don't remember if the answer was ultimately pulled.
However, when posters write in with "I've been on Kazaa and ...", it's business as usual. There is no effort to edit, censure, or remove those posts.

 

[mudskipper]

everyone - Sorry if this gets a bit off topic

drdebit - Perhaps we can clear it up a bit for you... Kazaa is simply a program that you install on your computer. Kazaa will (essentially) allow you to share your files with other Kazaa users. They call this software P2P (Peer to peer) because the software (mostly) allows two comptuters to share files as peers, without an intermediate server. Having the software installed is not illegal. Sharing files is not illegal. Sharing/downloading anything that violates copyrights, etc., IS illegal.

On this site, anything that is illegal will tend to get Red Flagged by other members, and subsequently pulled, edited, etc.. When somebody says, "I was using Kazaa", we don't exactly know what they were doing. For all we know, they could have been downloading open source software or music by artists that allow downloading/sharing of thier MP3s. Alternately, when somebody suggests using Kazaa to download anything that IS illegal, it will tend to get Red Flagged. Mudskipper
-----------------
Groucho said it best- "A four year-old child could understand this!
Quick! Run out and find me a four year-old child: I can't make heads nor tails out of this!"

 

[cdogg]

skiflyer,
Yeah, I kind of expected that! LOL

That's just the way I see it. I have a fast connection available to me pretty much 24/7, but I still buy albums just as often as I did 5 years ago. IMHO, the MP3 format is nice, but it isn't quite up to par with CD-quality. My ears can tell the difference - especially with classical and rock.

So, for the one-hit wonders, I can stand it. But for multiple songs that I can buy on one CD, I prefer to go that route.


~cdogg

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
- A. Einstein

 

[drdebit]

mudskipper
thank you that's helpful

 

[drdebit]

Mudskipper
I also wanted to thank you for modelling courtesy - I think i owe apology in a couple of places.

All
After reading mudskipper's post i think i spoke without knowing for sure what was going on-I apologize for the rudeness of my post above.

 

[Driveshaft]

Hey, how do we supposed to find rare music. Is it possible that i can go out there and go to a music store and purchase an album thats been sold out 15 yrs ago? I tried going out of state and everywhere i stopped i cant seem to find Miami boyz first album. I even went to florida to see if i can find that album, which i had no luck.

 

[GDGarth]

DriveShaft:

Have you tried ebay or one of the other auction sites? They have a lot of stuff you can't find in stores.

 

[manarth]

Driveshaft:

I see your point, it sounds like you've done as much as you can to get hold of a legit copy...

At the end of the day, it's not ppl like you that the RIAA are chasing; it's the ppl d/l'ing the latest no#1...
You just end up losing a service like Napster as a result.

The out-of-print music scene is a tough call - technically, someone owns the copyright still, but they don't want to invest in making it available. Sounds like a quesion of morality vs legality; morally sound but legally wrong.

As a music collector, whilst I have plenty of MP3s on my PC, they don't count in my music collection...and if I like the music, whilst I may already have d/l'ed it, I'll go out and buy the CD (or pref the vinyl - anyone remember records??)....if I didn't like the music, you can be sure it won't last 5 mins taking up space on MY hard-disk! <marc>[ul]help us help![li]please provide feedback on what works / doesn't[/li][li]not sure where to start? click here: faq581-3339[/li][/sup][/ul][/sup]

 

[mattKnight]

>(or pref the vinyl - anyone remember records??)....

Oh yes, do you remember valves?

But this is a different thread! Take Care

Matt
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

 

[Driveshaft]

yeah, i tried ebay and i also tried calling the record company. you would think they would have all the old stuff that they put out. and yes i do remember vinyl,lol