"Pirate vs Pirate" Research

I have conducted a large amount of research for this project, reading books, publications, and articles on file-sharing in order to help me understand what the most important issues are to address. Here below are some notes that I believe to be significant to the project:

- Peer-to-peer (P2P) technology (Figure 1) lets internet users exchange information through machines linked in a network, and has created a heated debate for many years (Strowel, 2009). The main issue is that P2P software users have the ability to freely exchange files such as movies, songs, and software without owning the copyrights for the product.



Figure 1. Peer-to-Peer Network (http://shafiq.pk/wpcontent/uploads/2007/12/best-p2p-applications.gif)

- According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Digital Music Report (2009), 40 billion files were illegally shared in 2008 and that Jupiter Research valued a £180 million loss to piracy every year. The significant negative impact of P2P networks requires an ad that is effective in raising awareness and sending across a strong message.

- 96% of individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are involved in piracy in some way (Sabbagh, 2008).