Kazaa Media Desktop sets most downloaded software record

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SYDNEY (MAY 26, 2003) - Sharman Networks Limited today announced that Kazaa Media Desktop has become the most downloaded software, having overtaken the previous record-holder, ICQ, by reaching 230,309,616 worldwide downloads. Kazaa Media Desktop is distributed without charge and enables its users to download more licensed content than any other application.

"The entire Sharman Networks team thanks users worldwide for embracing Kazaa Media Desktop," said Sharman Networks CEO Nikki Hemming. "Our vision from inception was to develop and prove a model for the distribution of licensed content."

Kazaa Media Desktop's download record comes at a key period in the peer-to-peer industry's positive evolution, following the April 2003 ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California that reinforces the legality of file sharing applications.

Licensed files, including music, movies, games and software are made available to users through Sharman Networks' partnership with Altnet. More than 20 million licenses are acquired by Kazaa Media Desktop users per month. In 16 months of operation, Sharman Networks has shown that its business model is both sound and successful.

"Congratulations go to the entire Sharman team for an outstanding accomplishment," said Hemming. "We will continue to innovate and deliver users the best possible experience, while expanding the choice of licensed content."

Hemming credits the success of Kazaa Media Desktop to her team's rigorous respect for user privacy and their focus on delivering users the best in usability, security, and speed.

Kazaa Media Desktop Features Include:

Seek and Find: Search for and download audio/music, documents, images, playlists, software, and video files in an easy to use interface.
Gold Icon Files: Licensed content from Altnet including software, games, music and films.
Kreate: A long-running program that encourages users to generate and distribute original content.
Family Filter: Default setting designed to filter and remove adult or offensive material from search results.
Free Virus Protection: Integrated and easy to use protection from Bullguard- when activated, shared folders are automatically scanned on startup and during each download.
Integrity Ratings: Files labeled by users according to technical quality and completeness of metadata to enhance reliability.
Help Guides: Orientation for new users, plus web-based, technical instruction to educate users and enhance experience.
Kazaa Showcase: Promotion platform for premium licensed content.
Languages: Available in English, French, German and Spanish.

The record for most downloaded applications, as counted by CNET's industry-leading Download.com, was achieved May 26, 2003. Kazaa Media Desktop has been the most popular application available through Download.com for 55 consecutive weeks.

About Sharman Networks Limited

Sharman Networks Limited distributes the popular Kazaa Media Desktop software, the leading peer-to-peer application that allows users to search, download, organize and interact with a variety of file types. Founded in 2002, Sharman Networks is a private company committed to distributing computing software applications that are pioneering the digital revolution. Sharman Networks is a worldwide operation. For more information about Kazaa Media Desktop, Sharman Network's leading P2P software application, please visit Kazaa.com.

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