Kazaa

Kazaa was a proprietary file-sharing program. Based on a peer-to -peer system, users can music files, videos, text documents and pictures exchange over the Internet.

Protocol

The protocol, called FastTrack protocol (after the company Fast Track) used, has a decentralized structure, according to the producers and also required to connect and browse the net no central server. Following the closure of Napster, the system secured thereby and ( manage rapid computer searching ) through the supernode architecture that privileged, then compared to the also decentralized Gnutella, a broad mass of users. The protocol is proprietary and not yet fully known due to encryption algorithms.

History

Kazaa was developed by the Swede Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis from Denmark, who published the software in March 2001. Later, when the legality of the system has been questioned, took over " Sharman Networks " the system. Since both this company and interested companies have a distributed and little transparent structure, it has not come up today to closure.

First and only time a user of the Internet Kazaa from the District Court of Cottbus was convicted of copyright infringement to 400 euro fine on 6 May 2004. Served as the basis, among others, has been seized computer of the accused.

On 11 June 2004, the company " Fast Track Consumer Empowerment " lost to the European Trademark Office an opposition against the registration of the brand name Kazaa. In September 2005, Sharman Networks lost an Australian court case and was sentenced to modify the software so that Australian users can exchange any copyrighted material more so. The ARIA should be able to create a list of blocked content, after which the Kazaa client is then determined. This demand came not according to the manufacturer first. Instead, appeared at the end of the period a banner on the official site that explains that Australian users are no longer allowed to use the software.

In July 2006, was finally agreed a high severance payment under a settlement with the U.S. Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) and the music industry association IFPI and the software provided with filter functions for copyrighted works.

Since 2007, Kazaa Media Desktop is offered free of spyware and malware on the official website to download. Nevertheless, it also contains a toolbar and advertising files as links on the desktop, advertisements in the software.

In February 2009, a new version of Kazaa.com site is online. Now Kazaa is available for a fee of $ 19.98 per month and gives the customer a flat rate for downloading songs. However, these are protected by DRM, and can be used to a maximum of three computers simultaneously. A playback on portable MP3 players is not possible, also the DRM procedure locks the downloaded songs if the User has terminated its membership with Kazaa.

In August 2012, the music distribution has been discontinued.

Criticism

The original software Kazaa Spyware and Adware contains of Cydoor that slow a system reversibly to large or even may cause damage to the extent that it will impair its functionality.

In contrast, the unofficial Kazaa Lite versions are usable without having to install or run the malware.

Kazaa / Sharman is controversial because it earns money with the help of a software that supposedly used only for getting copyrighted works without pay authorship. Also, the portal was p2pnet.net legally compelled to remove articles critical of Sharman.

Next, the software is criticized because each participating computer can be used by the Kazaa manufacturer Sharman Networks also for other purposes.