File Sharing: Decentralizing, Open-Source Fasttrack

Eloquence writes: "I've written a comparison of current file sharing software; what's interesting is that the original centralized indexing concepts are losing ground because of filters, and most relevant file sharing systems by now use at least a server-network, or a completely decentralized architecture. Unfortunately, most networks are proprietary, but at least there is now an open-source client to access the most popular network, Fasttrack's Kazaa/Morpheus, which was originally only accessible under Windows (around 500,000 users online at any time)."

Comments

Re:It should be noted

[jonathan_ingram]

In case you really don't know what the problem with LAME is, take a look at http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/software.html. To paraphrase, for the patent only license (i.e. just to get permission to use the patents they have out on MP3), you should pay:

• Decoder: 75 cents per unit or $50 thousand one off
• Encoder: 2 dollars 50 cents per unit

This does not include the right to stream that content, for which you have to pay more. In contrast, to decode, encode, stream, store Vorbis you have to pay $0.

Getting away from licensing issues, a recent listening test concluded that at 128kbps Vorbis RC2 was right up there with LAME encoded MP3, and better than Xing encoded MP3 -- and RC2 still has a couple of minor issues that will be fixed before the release.

(okay, what the FUCK kind of lameness filter reason is 'Junk character post'? I had to get rid of some dollar signs to get it to post)

Re:Don't blam Napster Blame the RIAA

[Rogerborg]

• recent figures prove that file-sharing services actually generate sales and put more money in artists' pockets.

And there's the problem. If you're getting your music through KazaNapTella, and paying for it through FairTunes, where does that leave the corporate weasels at OmniGlobalMegaHyperLabel?

They don't care about the artists, they don't care about you or me. I honestly believe that they will buy as many politicians as it takes to ensure that the law keeps changing so that if you get music through any method other than by paying money to a big label, you will be made a criminal, and you will be threatened, harassed and denied access until you knuckle under.

Until then though, let's keep supporting FairTunes and highlighting that the "all sharing is piracy" argument is bunk.