How Kazaa Works 【KaZaA】
Stephanie Watson/作 愛俐思/譯
網路讓我們實現二十年前無法想像的事情：傳送電子郵件、進行網路拍賣、進入空前龐大的資料庫，並與世界各地的人交換音樂和電影。這種網路功能稱為「檔案分享」。Napster是九零年代末期極受歡迎的檔案分享服務網站，一直到該網站因侵權官司敗訴而被迫關站之前，數以百萬的用戶曾透過其伺服器分享音樂（Napster從此改為付費下載的服務形式）。
短短幾年後，網路世界出現另一家功能更強大的檔案分享網站Kazaa（或KaZaA），用戶不僅能分享音樂，還能分享電影、電視節目和其他類型的數位資訊。Kazaa很快成為最熱門的檔案分享服務網站，隨時有上百萬用戶同時透過該網站交換各式各樣的檔案。
但這種無邊無境的檔案分享現象，也讓大家正視一個重要問題：使用者可以毫無限制，且不花分毫就取得有版權的電影、音樂和遊戲嗎？唱片與電影產業一直認為此舉不可取，此風不可長。轉型前的Napster網站在美國唱片協會對其提出侵權訴訟後，被迫關站。Kazaa亦面臨相同窘境，但目前已安然度過法律危機。
接下來，請點閱原文
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/kazaa.htm
讓我們一起了解Kazaa的運作方式，看看用戶如何透過網路分享檔案。
The Internet has enabled us to do things we'd never dreamed possible just a couple of decades ago. In addition to e-mail, online auctions and access to the largest information database ever compiled, we can now swap music and movies with people all around the globe. This capability is called file sharing. One of the most famous file-sharing services, Napster, became hugely popular in the late '90s. Millions of people exchanged music over its servers until copyright-infringement lawsuits shut it down (it has since recreated itself as a pay-per-download service).
Just a few years later, a more wide-sweeping file-sharing network, Kazaa (or KaZaA) emerged. Kazaa enables its users to share not only music, but also movies, television shows and other types of digital information. Kazaa soon became the most popular file-sharing service on the Internet, with millions of users simultaneously sharing content.
But with unlimited file sharing comes the big question: Should users be granted unrestricted -- and free -- access to copyrighted movies, music and games? The recording and film industries continue to respond with a resounding "No." After being sued for copyright infringement by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the original Napster was forced to shut down; Kazaa now finds itself in similar hot water. So far, it has weathered the legal storm.
In this article, we'll find out exactly how Kazaa works, learn how its users share data across the Internet
原文和圖片出處：
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/kazaa.htm
相關中文資料「美法庭宣判：P2P檔案交換軟體合法」
http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/software/0,2000064574,20091873,00.htm
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