The report, entitled “Peer-to-peer, the scourge of the internet”, was written by Jørgen Kirksæther, researcher of Interactive Media. He tested both traditional networks such as eDonkey and newer BitTorrent systems over a twelve-month period.

Both kinds of networks can be accessed easily and free of charge. A broadband connection and a little patience are the only real hurdles to accessing a vast resource of content. Each network has a slightly different focus. Kazaa for example, has a particular emphasis on mp3 music files.

Peer-to-peer networks involve the sharing of all kinds of files and content. And, as has been widely reported, this includes pornographic content, as well as copyright protected music and films. A simple test showed the former to be particularly popular among users. Searches for pornographic keywords were ten times more popular than those for popular music or software.

There have been specific concerns that file sharing is used to distribute child pornography, and that child pornography may even be disguised and presented as other kinds of content. While the researcher did not actively attempt to track down child pornography, no instances were found disguised under other descriptions. Both the older sharing systems and the newer BitTorrent protocol allows users to comment on files and this feature could serve to warn others about incorrectly tagged files.

While peer-to-peer as a whole gets really bad press, it also has legitimate uses. The report highlights the example of Propellerheads, a software developer. High demand for a download had led their website to crash. By distributing the file on BitTorrent, the load was shared by a high number of users.

The music and film industries remain focused on copyright issues however, and they have succeeded in closing down some networks, or bringing them into line. Others continue to flourish, and effective legal and technical solutions to shut down such services are expected to remain elusive. As the report concludes, “Data has a tendency to find its own way, regardless of corporate or governmental agreements.”