File-sharing networks remain a chief concern for the major music labels and software makers whose content continues to be copied and distributed online without authorization. Over the past several years, modern file-sharing technologies and faster broadband networks have spawned new distribution methods and have made copyrighted movies and videos popular targets of online sharing. In 2010, video comprised the majority of consumer Internet traffic (53 percent of uploads and downloads), and this number is expected to grow over the next decade. In particular, in the age of cloud computing and online data storage, cyberlockers have grown in popularity, allowing users to store and share digital files. Although many users employ cyberlockers for lawful purposes, others have used them as a mechanism to view and distribute infringing content. Efforts by copyright owners to remove infringing links and content are often hampered by the speedy replacement of removed content by other users.
This article will discuss the evolution of file-sharing technology, cyberlockers in general, including an overview of the federal prosecution of the cyberlocker site Megaupload, as well as recent efforts to fight piracy at the ISP level.
File-Sharing Evolution
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