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US Government Office Gives P2P Shot of Legitimacy

Posted by Hemos on from the stand-up-for-our-rights dept.

SlyckTom writes "On September 9, 2003, the GAO testified before the before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Their testimony centered on the proliferation and exposure of various types of detestable erotica to children. The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Orrin G. Hatch, sent a follow-up letter to the GAO with several questions regarding the legitimacy of file-sharing networks. On November 14, 2003, the GOA responded with a surprisingly pro-P2P stance."

1 of 13 comments (clear)

  1. The problem with the term "file sharing" by Millennium · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "File sharing" -the term, at least- has been corrupted by misuse. If we go by the strict definition of the term, then of course there is nothing wrong with it.

    The problem is that many pirates have misappropriated the term, using it as a euphemism for piracy. This wouldn't be so bad, except that RIAA/MPAA/whoever has caught wind of this, and is capitalizing on it by trying to convince people that this is the actual definition of the term. Essentially, the idiot pirates have allowed RIAA to make a plausible-sounding claim that p2p networks are only used for piracy, because the pirates themselves use this term.