About the Revolution!

There is a revolution underway which is changing the world of entertainment. It will effect how you discover, buy and share songs, movies, games and ideas. Peer-to-peer technology is driving the revolution and it could make life better for everyone. Lower prices, unlimited catalogs and more.

Some companies are trying to stop it. Don't let them.

Why Change?
We have already seen significant advantages of peer-to-peer distribution to everyone's benefit. But this is only the beginning - a glimpse of its true potential.
What makes peer-to-peer revolutionary?
Peer-to-peer is good for consumers. Why?

Peer-to-peer is about more than just music, movies and games. Peer-to-peer lets people share new ideas, collaborate on projects and communicate more efficiently. It’s a freedom of speech opportunity worth developing and defending.

It’s fast and based on a convenient self-service model.

It is unlimited in size. Unlike a Web site or shop, a peer-to-peer network will never fill up or slow down. This means more diversity.

Content owners and libraries have for the first time a cost effective way to distribute their huge volumes of digital information, opening up amazing new resources to Internet users.

The cost efficiencies should result in lower cost which should be passed on to consumers in the form of cheaper prices.

Peer-to-peer is good for Artists, Producers and Developers. Why?

Emerging stars can share their works with the world without big budgets or a big deal. A song, video, game, idea or image can be shared, tried and bought based on how good it is.

Major stars can access a huge, global audience instantly. With peer-to-peer, less money will be taken out of their royalty checks to reimburse their publishers for promotion costs.

It’s easy to set up a “digitally rights-managed” account that lets artists decide how they want their fans to experience their work. They choose the length of free trial, determine payment criteria and wrap their files in digital protection.

Peer-to-peer is good for Labels, Production Companies, Libraries, Owners. Why?

These companies own a lot of the content that peer-to-peer users want. They can protect this content through digitally rights-managed solutions and give users the option to buy it.

They can reach a huge, global audience instantly. Kazaa alone already has 60 million users.

Costs are dramatically reduced through this new distribution technology.

Potential new markets await these companies and their content.

Peer-to-peer Companies. Why?

Technology companies like Sharman Networks, which owns Kazaa, can benefit by providing users the best access to peer-to-peer technology and a diversity of content.

These companies compete to provide the best experience for their users, and that results in an ever-changing, innovative marketplace where users benefit from the latest technology.

In return, these companies can be compensated by content providers for promoting and distributing their works to paying customers. This will most likely be in the form of a payment per transaction, or a commission.

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Who's Trying to Stop It and Why?

Kazaa and other peer-to-peer applications have been under attack from the major Record and Movie companies and their industry bodies, the Recording Industry Association of America and Motion Picture Association of America. The Record and Movie companies are suing peer-to-peer software developers and the RIAA are suing peer-to-peer users.

This Revolution can benefit everybody. So why are they trying to stop it?

Copyright owners.

These companies own the copyright to material that they sell. Some of them are afraid that peer-to-peer means everything is always available for free.
Some of them don't believe that peer-to-peer users would pay a reasonable price for files.
Since May 2002, peer-to-peer applications like Kazaa have offered copyright owners the ability to protect, promote and sell their works to millions of users. Everything is in place. They just need to try it.

Record and Movie Companies.

These companies make money out of developing copyrighted material, distributing it, promoting it and selling it.
They are concerned that peer-to-peer will reduce their control over every step of this process. This is because peer-to-peer is a market driven by the people.
They think they will make less money.
They'll have to change some of their business practices to succeed in a peer-to-peer environment, but all things need to change. Peer-to-peer should not be stopped because of this. The benefits of the technology are great. There should be no reason to try to halt a revolution.
If peer-to-peer provides a bigger market, lower costs and unlimited space in packaging music, videos and pictures and these companies tried it, they could make so much more.
They need to stop fighting this technology and start working with it. We’ll say it again. Since May 2002, peer-to-peer applications like Kazaa have offered record and movie companies the ability to protect, promote and sell their works to the millions of users. Everything is in place. They just need to try it.

Changing to a New Way?

Nobody can accurately predict how this will work out. Peer-to-peer represents a massive and complex change to traditional music and movie industry models. Consumers will drive it and companies will compete to offer them the best service, value and quality.

This is how we see the new marketplace working:

Artists and copyright owners will protect their works with security technology.
The works will be promoted to consumers via search tools and via peer-to-peer web pages.
Consumers will download the files they think might be interesting. This depends on promotions, offers, and what they have heard is good from friends, web sites and magazines.
They will try them out. Each file can have a different trial period set by the owner - 20 minutes, 20 days or 20 years.
If the consumers like it and the price is fair, they will buy it. Fans are satisfied and artists get rewarded.

Everyone is happy!

In the ideal world everyone is happy.

Consumers are happy because they can get what they want, when and how they want it at a good price.
Content owners are happy because their get paid when users want their content. And they get exposure to a vast audience, which may result in future sales through albums, merchandise and even concerts.
The artist or content developer is happy because they also get fairly rewarded for their work and/or they get great exposure.
And the peer-to-peer software developers are happy because they get paid, which means that they can continue to develop peer-to-peer applications so everyone can benefit.
This revolution can be for everyone!

So what's next?

Will 2004 be the year where 60 million fans become legitimate consumers of content via peer-to-peer or will the companies currently opposing the advancement of peer-to-peer technologies have their way and continue to threaten you, sue you and deny you access to a technology that will continue to develop?

Brief history on how peer-to-peer came about
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