AfterDawn: News

P2P population at all-time high

Indications from the recording industry would have you believing that P2P use overall is declining due to litigation again music file sharers in countries around the world. However, this is not the truth. In fact, overall, there has been a 13.28% increase in users since January 2005. The figures represent simultaneously connected users but only on P2P networks, BitTorrent users are not counted. This brings the P2P population even higher.

Figures from BigChampagne show that in August 2005, a new record of 9.62 million users was set. In the US alone, a record of 6.97 million users was reached in December. According to BigChampagne both of these records set last year were broken in January 2006 with the addition of 116,000 P2P users. This brings the global total to a record 9,670,552 simultaneous users. The US contributed 8,265 to this number, and reached its own record of 6.98 million users.



This gives you an idea of the steady growth P2P networks see each year, despite increased litigation, but not even just lawsuits against sharers this time round. 2005 was a bad year for P2P software developers too, especially in the United States when the Supreme Court ruled that owners of P2P networks/software could be held liable under some circumstances for copyright infringement taking place by its users.

Source:
Slyck

Written by: James Delahunty @ 8 Feb 2006 5:09

• Previous article

• iPod chip maker to add WiFi & Bluetooth support

• Next article

• Symbian cuts operating system fees

• 18 comments

• OneMember

  I am glad to say I am one of them :)

  8.2.2006 08:12 #1

• vegeta66

  i am too p2p forever!!!!!!!!

  8.2.2006 08:28 #2

• sisph

  If this is really the case expect all the punks in the RIAA to step up the litigation against us. I hate to say this, but for once France is looking like a nice place to go to.

  8.2.2006 09:38 #3

• coolbrz

  Hope they have fun trying to find all 7 million of us in the USA that is. :)

  8.2.2006 10:56 #4

• wetsparks

  i was on www.mybittorent.com and they had an advertisement for a trackerless p2p client for $15 a month that offered complete anonminity. if these are starting to come out i think that number would go even higher especially if one comes out for free.

  8.2.2006 12:24 #5

• weazel200

  no suprise there.

  8.2.2006 12:29 #6

• Mik3h

  And they wonder why this is happening? The other day I saw the Album in Virgin Megastore - Pink Floyd - The Wall at £39!
  
  This album was released in 1979, so why the hell is the price still abnormally high!?
  
  The record companies.. ripping us off, as they always have done.
  
  The amount of people using P2P is going to get much higher I can tell you!
  
  I am also proud to say, and am one of these people!
  
  -Mike

  8.2.2006 12:40 #7

• whoozhe

  It just exposes what misleading information the RIAA and it's counterparts are willing to spread just so they can justify their existance.
  Sorry guys but you lost the war long ago.

  8.2.2006 13:53 #8

• Glitched

  lol im dl some crap of p2p right now:)

  8.2.2006 14:34 #9

• malcoa

  Maybe this will bring the prices of legitimate goods down, which is good for those who want to pay ;)

  8.2.2006 22:59 #10

• mudearies

  its beacuase the things there you can download for free ,everybody likes free... as free virus and free spyware too ,thats why i say p2punited.
  and watch out for the fbi they may get cha no1 is untouchable.

  9.2.2006 12:26 #11

• PirateDan

  If this is the case then there is one thing the record companies need to do stop selling crap, or get into the sell a song business.

  9.2.2006 18:18 #12

• yeardley

  Woah woah, sisph...let's not go all alarmist on each other just yet. France never starts to look like a nice place to go.
  
  Besides, their legal system isn't perfect:
  
  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2030846,00.html

  10.2.2006 03:31 #13

• sisph

  HAHAHAHA...ok, so France isn't perfect.
  
  But the way things are going nowadays don't be surprised if the RIAA gets in bed with the Department of Homeland Security and says that if you download MP3s you help support terrorists.
  
  The sad part is I really don't know if I'm being sarcastic or not, God knows stranger things can happen in this crazy world...

  10.2.2006 15:29 #14

• yeardley

  @ sisph:
  
  I agree with you totally. I think you were actually correct about the mp3 downloading/terrorist connection. If I remember correctly, at least in America, there really were commercials, for a while (came out a year or two ago around the Super-Bowl), that tried to accuse illegal downloaders of aiding terrorists through some ridiculously weak explanation. Needless to say, those commercials weren't destined to stick around. But you're right to wonder and worry about the RIAA (or certain media companies in general) and the government getting out of hand, together, in the future. Something we're all keeping our eyes on.

  10.2.2006 20:17 #15

• msjtahoe

  P2P networking,"Always 1 step head"

  11.2.2006 12:26 #16

• strayline

  What do you think of this concept?
  
  We are allowed to trade all we want for free via P2P, but artists don't produce anything new. When we want something new we pitch all our money together and the artist gets paid and we get to trade this new song all we want.
  
  Any thoughts?

  12.2.2006 02:26 #17

• yeardley

  Please slap yourself in the face.

  12.2.2006 04:05 #18