New File-Sharing Techniques Coming Soon

NY Times: Apparently, there's new versions of P2P file-sharing systems brewing that will make it easier to share digital information anonymously and make detection by corporations and governments far more difficult...But the ultimate goal "is to create tools to circumvent censorship and political repression - not to abet copyright violation."

Ian Clarke, a 28-year-old free-speech advocate who originally introduced Freenet five years ago, plans to introduce a newer version (i.e., a closed network) in the next few months...Currently, Freenet is being developed by a group of five or six volunteer programmers and a single full-time employee who is paid by donations.

"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. In Silicon Valley, start-up companies like Imeem and Grouper are already making it possible to create groups to share digital information...To join a darknet, a potential user must be trusted by one of the existing members. Thus such networks grow as part of a 'web of trust', and are far more restricted than open systems." The end result will yield systems that are next to impossible to trace and/or monitor member activity, so the RIAA better come up with something better than 'John Doe' lawsuits...