P2pnet
Encyclopedia
p2pnet.net is an online news website which mainly covers stories which are relevant to peer-to-peer file sharing
Peer-to-peer file sharing
P2P or Peer-to-peer file sharing allows users to download files such as music, movies, and games using a P2P software client that searches for other connected computers. The "peers" are computer systems connected to each other through internet. Thus, the only requirements for a computer to join...

 (P2P).

p2pnet is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License
Creative Commons licenses
Creative Commons licenses are several copyright licenses that allow the distribution of copyrighted works. The licenses differ by several combinations that condition the terms of distribution. They were initially released on December 16, 2002 by Creative Commons, a U.S...

, and as such actively encourages other sites to use its content, provided they keep within the restriction set by that license. It also takes advantage of other sites' Creative Commons licenses by republishing content from writers such as Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson (technology writer)
Bill Thompson is an English technology writer, best known for his weekly column in the Technology section of BBC News Online and his appearances on Click, a radio show on the BBC World Service. He is also an Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow at City University London .Born in Jarrow, Thompson grew...

. However, p2pnet's founder Jon Newton makes the point that he never re-publishes without having first contacted the authors, Creative Commons notwithstanding.

Goal

p2pnet.net focuses on digital media and file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...

. In their mission statement, they state that their ultimate goal is to help launch a non-profit, collaborative and censor-free international news service. They hope that on- and offline media outlets can access and exchange news which hasn't been influenced by corporate interests.

Staff

P2pnet's founder and editor is Jon Newton. He is an internationally published writer with many years of experience in different journalistic fields. He now runs p2pnet full time.

Common contributing authors

On P2Pnet, there are several other people involved with submitting Jon tips about stories and opinions. There are also a few people who occasionally contribute full articles on news stories or opinions.

Dr. Michael Geist

Geist is the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. He has written numerous academic articles and government reports on the Internet and law and is a columnist on technology law issues that regularly appears in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, and BBC.

Mission statement

p2pnet.net's mission statement says it went online in August 2002 as the first Internet web page to carry daily, frequently updated news stories, features and commentaries discussing developments in the p2p and digital media arenas.

It states: "p2pnet's focus is on digital media, distributed computing and file sharing, but the ultimate goal has always been to help launch a non-profit, collaborative and censor-free international news service through which on- and offline community print and electronic media outlets can access and exchange news which hasn't been spun, filtered and pre-digested by vested corporate interests."

Common themes

The site has long standing themes of where (RIAA) name of Recording Industry Association of America is show that it isn't American in fact. It's operated by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

 (Britain), Vivendi Universal (France) and Sony BMG (Japan and Germany) with the fourth component, Warner Music, which is the only US company in organisation.

Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...

 of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

 is commonly show as a graphic of an English policeman from the 19th century

Legal

p2pnet was recently sued by Sharman Networks
Sharman Networks
Sharman Networks is a company headquartered in Australia and incorporated in Vanuatu. It owns the rights to the KaZaA file sharing software...

, the parent company of Kazaa
Kazaa
Kazaa Media Desktop started as a peer-to-peer file sharing application using the FastTrack protocol licensed by Joltid Ltd. and operated as Kazaa by Sharman Networks...

, in retaliation for compiling mainstream media reports regarding the company's financial dealings and providing an anonymous, open forum for readers to comment about it. Sharman Networks recently dropped its claim, however the Kazaa CEO Nikki Hemming lawsuit continues. Jon is contesting the suit on freedom of speech grounds. http://p2pnet.net/blogsuit/index.html

Up for sale

As of 19 January 2007 it is reported http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/19/p2pnet_for_sale/ that Jon Newton, the owner of p2pnet.net, has put the site up for sale inviting offers in excess of $30,000.
It seems he can not longer afford to run the site after advertisers pulled out. Readers donations have not been able to replace the lost advertisting income.

However, Newton was able to find a partner and p2pnet will continue. "It'll be a completely new deal," says Newton, "but that's cool and for the best. Change is what it's all about. Anything which stands still eventually rots. Ask the cartels : )"
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK