P2P: The next generation

Napster came first and Kazaa represented the 2nd generation. Notice the past tense. Parents of file-sharers may want to know that next-generation BitTorrent has surpassed former file-sharing leader Kazaa, CNET reports. Citing a detailed worldwide survey by UK network management company CacheLogic, CNET says BitTorrent now accounts for 53% of all peer-to-peer traffic, which is "skyrocketing," contrary to some reports. BitTorrent is the next generation because of its technology as much as its traffic. One of its attractions - in the face of anti-piracy lawsuits by record, software, and film companies - is that it's harder to track. That's because, unlike Kazaa and eDonkey, it doesn't represent a single network of file-sharers. Rather, it "works by creating smaller networks based on a single piece of content - say, the latest episode of 'The Sopranos.' Because each file has its own network, it is much harder to estimate how widespread use of the software has been." Meanwhile, popular Israel-based iMesh soon will no longer be a free file-sharing service. It agreed to block "unauthorized file-sharing" on its service and to pay the RIAA $4.1 million in a legal settlement this week, The Register reports. The service, whose software had been downloaded more than 76 million times, later this year will be a pay-per-tune one.