In direct response to the Grokster decision, a group called the Freenet Project is attempting to create a darknet where people can swap files in total anonymity. According to the BetaNews story: "Ian Clarke, who heads the Freenet project, said that the group does not intend to encourage copyright infringement with the new software. But Clarke added that having both freedom in communication and following copyrights is not possible, as 'the two are mutually exclusive.'" As a former journalist and longtime advocate of free speech, I'm offended that someone would argue that free speech must involve theft. Fortunately, some of the BetaNews posters were equally suspect of that. Many of them also doubted that you could have a truly anonymous P2P network, because the network in sending you the file has to know where the file is and where you are.

This struggle will continue.

posted by Patrick Ross @ 9:46 AM | Internet: P2P, Search Engines...

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