New File-Sharing Techniques Shall Transcend Court Decisions

(Via NYTimes) Computer researchers say that the term "anonymous peer-to-peer," applied to darknets, is actually a misnomer, because the networks must exist in the open Internet and thus must have identifiable addresses where they can be contacted by other nodes of the network.As the legal consequences for file sharing become clearer, there will be a proliferation of systems with features similar to Freenet, according to a range of industry specialists. Hollywood and the recording industry are on the verge of confronting more technically sophisticated opponents. A new version of a peer-to-peer file-sharing system will make it easier to share digital information anonymously and make detection by corporations and governments far more difficult. Others have described similar efforts to build a so-called darknet that aims to shield the identities of those sharing information. The issue is complicated by the fact that the small group of technologists designing the new systems say their goal is to create tools to circumvent censorship and political repression - not to abet copyright violation. Unlike today's open peer-to-peer networks, the new systems use software code to connect individuals who trust one another, making it possible for groups of users to establish secured networks - available only to them and those they choose to include - through which any kind of digital information can be exchanged.
Industry executives acknowledge that even with their Supreme Court victory, peer-to-peer technology will continue to be a factor in illicit online trading. "Everyone understands that P-to-P technology is, and will remain, an important part of the online landscape," said Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America. "But the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in the Grokster case will help ensure that business models won't be based on the active encouragement of infringement on P-to-P or other networks."