File Sharing System Inspired By Ants

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the different-and-private dept

We’ve been saying for ages that the more the RIAA fights back against the file sharing networks that are out there, the more underground file sharers will go. The end result is going to be even less control for the music industry than if they had come along and embraced the earlier efforts. Already, plenty of developers are working on file sharing systems that make it much more difficult for the RIAA to track down users. ABC News has an article about MUTE – a file sharing system that inspired by the way ants forage for food, and which the creator claims makes it much more difficult for anyone to figure out who you are. The description of the system is fairly simplistic, and it’s unclear how anonymous (or scalable) it really is – but it’s just one more example that the next generation of these networks are going to be even more difficult for the RIAA to deal with. While many still insist that it doesn’t make sense for the industry to embrace file sharing because the business model isn’t clear, that’s the wrong way to look at things. These file sharing networks (and their users!) aren’t going away. It’s not a choice for the industry. They are competing against these systems, and they’re not winning.