A file protection method for peer-to-peer systems

The benefits of peer-to-peer (P2P) systems as vehicles for information dissemination are overwhelming. They beat the conventional client-server (C-S) approach in terms of scalability, availability, and network efficiency to mention a few. Nevertheless, the problem of protecting copyrighted material in P2P systems is far from solved, whilst several solutions have been proposed and are in use in a C-S environment. In this article, we propose a framework which allows ‘legal’ P2P file exchange, making it possible for copyright holders to employ P2P as a distribution vehicle. We illustrate a scenario where all parties involved, including the end user, benefit from our approach. Lessons learned and conclusions are drawn from a prototype implementation.