I think this all really has more to do with the popularity of the media over which file sharing happens. This was mentioned a few days ago, but I can't find the article.
Whichever medium for file sharing (p2p, ftp, http, etc) has the most people sharing on it, will draw the most attention and user base. Likewise, the more attention a medium gets, the more people will use that medium. Snowball effect. If somehow p2p specific programs were outlawed and everyone started using http again, we would see that method grow in popularity, drawing more leechers and sharers alike.
To that end we might even see "webserver/search/media center" programs evolve to the point that they were no different than an modern day p2p clients (just acting as web servers too).
The point is, a positive feedback cycle builds one medium or protocol over another, and the RIAA is going to attack whichever target is biggest at any given moment.
Slashdot Mirror
I think this all really has more to do with the popularity of the media over which file sharing happens. This was mentioned a few days ago, but I can't find the article.
Whichever medium for file sharing (p2p, ftp, http, etc) has the most people sharing on it, will draw the most attention and user base. Likewise, the more attention a medium gets, the more people will use that medium. Snowball effect. If somehow p2p specific programs were outlawed and everyone started using http again, we would see that method grow in popularity, drawing more leechers and sharers alike.
To that end we might even see "webserver/search/media center" programs evolve to the point that they were no different than an modern day p2p clients (just acting as web servers too).
The point is, a positive feedback cycle builds one medium or protocol over another, and the RIAA is going to attack whichever target is biggest at any given moment.