Since the popularity of the bit torrent protocol is constantly increasing, so is the number of various technologies that have and will be built on the bit torrent protocol. One of the biggest improvement is the torrent tracker. Originally, when the bit torrent protocol was invented, one had to utilize a bit torrent tracker file. This has led to many attempts by various copyright authorities to take legal actions against the various tracker indexing websites, even though they do not actually contain any copyrighted material on them. In order to over come this, a new technology was built.

This new technology was the ability to have trackerless torrents. In order to accomplish this, the DHT was created. This DHT creates a unique hash key for each and every bit torrent file. This then got rid of the need for the torrent files except for the fact that some torrent software, use a different plug-in to make the hash keys. The keys then may be different and make it unable to be shared to anyone that does not use their particular bit torrent client software.

Another big change is the use of a virtual torrent in which your software sends an instant message to any other computer using the same software to tell them what files you are sharing. All of this of course had made the crack down on software, movie and music piracy much harder, but they can still find out who is stealing their intellectual data.

There was then the capability of sharing bits of data without the need of HTTP protocols. Utilizing an RSS feed, your bit torrent or P2P software announces the file that you have and who you are currently sharing with to the other users in the network. This eventually creates basically a full-mesh network with redundant paths between multiple file sources. Even if you cannot connect directly to that other computer, you can push USD to another computer that is connected with it and basically request that the other computer connect with you instead of vice versa.

Due to the simple fact that the bit torrent protocol and its traffic take up a substantial amount of an ISP’s traffic, there have been attempts to shut it down, so in response, you can now encrypt both incoming and outgoing connections. The ISP may inject TCP RST packets into the data stream if it suspects the transfers to be a bit torrent protocol and therefore slowing the connections down.

Then came the multitracker. The capabilities for a bit torrent client software to monitor multiple trackers of the same file in order to allow not just more connections, but also a sort of back-up incase one tracker gets lost, or worse, taken down by the force of the various copyright authorities.

As of right now, there are already many different technologies that have been built on as well as in conjunction with the bit torrent protocol. As times change and as there are more attempts to shut down the file sharing networks around the world, many more types of technology will be introduced in order to counter any attempts to shut the networks down.

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There are many variable involved in the standard bit torrent client that may be considered technology that has been either built upon, or built in conjunction with. One such technology is the use of the trackers. These trackers can also be considered a very broad term as not only do you have the basic bit torrent tracker file, but you can also have a multi tracker which can give multiple locations to find new connections, as well as the DHT or hash key which can even farther connect you with many more clients.

The main way that the DHT works, is that it will allow your bit torrent client software to contact other known clients that have access to the same file that you are trying to access. The software then asks the other clients if they know of anyone else that is not listed on the tracker that may have that file this may actually go on through several different “handshakes” until another new client is found that may not be listed on the tracker.

Another important technology in the bit torrent network is how the actual content is delivered. When some one makes a new bit torrent file, they will then upload the .torrent file or as it is mainly called, the tracker file, to an indexing website that will allow you to search for the file you are looking for. On this indexing site, you will not find the file you are looking for, you will find the .torrent or tracker file that will allow your bit torrent client software to find the other clients that have pieces or the whole file.

This whole network has been able to fix the bandwidth usage for downloading of files, and getting rid of the need for the HTTP download protocol, even though many sites still use this form of downloading for the software that they are offering. Furthermore, the use of RSS feeds allow many sites to literally broadcast what the index sites have to offer, this allows for someone to go to one site and search multiple index sites all at the same time.

Another important technology that was built with the bit torrent in mind, is the encryption of the connection between your bit torrent client software with others. There are many reasons why this encryption has come into play, but the main reason is that many ISPs have realized how much of their bandwidth is used by the bit torrent clients and are trying to stop it. The various ISP services will actually scan all their connections in search of the bit torrent protocol, and when found, they will insert TCP RST packets into the data stream to stop the transmission. This has been termed throttling of the connection. Throttling is done by the ISP by imply corrupting your connection which forces the connection to drop.

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When speaking about the various bit torrent client software, the biggest issue that is always brought up is the limitations and security vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, a bit torrent client software does not offer any of its users any real form of anonymity. The ips of anyone who may currently or previously be included in the swarm for any particular file is available to almost anyone who wants it. The reason for this is plainly due to the tracker. Although the DHT, a trackerless form of sharing bit torrent data, has been introduced, many websites and torrent files, still today prohibit the use of a DHT.

A user of a bit torrent client software is vulnerable to possible attacks from any number of dubious hackers on the internet today.

There is also no way to give an incentive to share a file after you have downloaded it, so many people will download and simply remove it from their torrent folder. This eventually leads to a torrents death. Many websites today have attempted to prevent this from happening by keeping tallies of your IP addresses uploads and downloads. Unfortunately, many people today still share IP address and therefore cannot access certain files if many others that share their IP have not shared. This sort of becomes a catch 22. Most people do not like seeing that dreaded message “You may not leech, you may only seed” This then may cause someone to not want to seed since they were not able to access the tracker on that site.

Although there is no real incentive to seeding, the bit torrent client software does punish you if you do not seed. This comes in the form of the share ratio. A good share ratio is 1.5, this means that for every 1 MB you download, you have shared 1.5 MB with others, this helps the torrent files last longer. Many of the bit torrent client software will control the amount you can download if your share ratio is too low. Likewise, many tracker indexing websites may also perform in the same way. But unfortunately, if you sare an IP address with any number of people, there is the possibility that you will not be allowed to download from IPs listed at that indexing site due to any number of other users that may or may not have shared a file in the past.

The goal, is to help the file last longer. If you make a file that you want to share, firstly, make sure that it is a good copy. Second off, make sure that it will allow a DHT, this will help make more copies quicker due to the many bit torrent indexing websites that may be preventing others from accessing your file due to past users on that same IP address.

If you are good at making the torrent files, and they are considered to be of higher quality, you may just become famous. Many people when they look for a certain file, they also look for the collaborator who has offered that particular torrent. The reason for this is due to quality. I will not go into particulars, but you will notice certain names more often than others. When you then check these names with the number of available seeds, you will see that they are usually higher.

Just remember, that although you may have a firewall in place, make sure to add your bit torrent client software to its exclusion list, otherwise you may find a software program on your computer one day that you did not download, and cannot seem to get rid of. Never take down your firewall, only add exemption for your bit torrent client software in order to prevent this in the future.

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The various bit torrent client software versus a p2p network has many variations that are used in legal defenses. Although many bit torrent files may be copyrighted data, the various bit torrent indexing websites do not carry that particular copyrighted data. They only offer a torrent file that points towards the copy righted data which is actually located on another user’s computer. The torrent file is basically a road map.

Although by technicality, this would not be considered illegal, many countries have gone out of the way to ensure that the “road map” to copyrighted data is illegal, while still allowing it to be legal to ask for direction to a drug house or an illegal arms dealer.

The biggest issue with the bit torrent client software as well as with the entire bit torrent protocol, is that the IP address are shared with the users involved with that particular file. Many times, when a bit torrent indexing website is raided by the various copyright authorities, what they really want is the logs themselves. It is with these logs that the copyright authorities can find out who you are and come knocking at your door. It may sound funny, but it has actually happened in several counties. In one case, a letter was sent to the parent of a kid who had been downloading copyrighted anime, and the parents were required to pay the damages for the data that their child had illegally downloaded.

Although, luckily for many, the bit torrent protocol now includes a DHT, or a hash key which allows for file sharing without the need of a tracker. Thanks to this hash key, which is unique for every different file, one can download and make connections with others in the network without their IP being logged by the torrent indexing website, unless for some reason, you originally access the file by means of the various indexing websites.

Although there are many possible legal defenses available to the various bit torrent indexing websites as well as to the creators of the various bit torrent client software, you as a downloader do not have many options when it comes to a legal defense regarding copyrighted data. Just think back to when the whole Napster issue went down and that there were several school kids that got criminal records for downloading copyrighted data.

The simple fact is, if you decide to download a movie, song or software that you know costs money to purchase, you are committing piracy and it is possible for you to have charges pressed against you for violating copyright laws. Regardless as to the fact that the movie may have been made in the US and you live in the Philippines. It is still illegal, if you were to get caught with that movie, song or software on a disc while boarding a plane to go to another country, you can go to jail. Many countries have their own copyright laws that will also run in coordination with international laws which will allow for the various copyright authorities to come after you if they so wish to do so.

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When dealing with the many legal issues surrounding the use of bit torrent client software, one must think about the many compromises that the indexing websites have had to take in order to continue their services to the world.

When a bit torrent index website gets raided by the various possible government and copyright authorities, two things may happen. The first possibility is the complete shut down of the web server to prevent the future spread of various copyrighted data. The other possibility, is what most people have seen upon visiting the many bit torrent indexing websites. The warnings. These warnings are usually a compromise between government authorities, copyright authorities and the web site owner him/her self. They simply state that there is a possibility that the various .torrent files that you may be downloading may contain copyrighted data.

Although, this is less of a warning, and more of a friendly gesture as the majority of bit torrent clients visit the sites to find the copy righted data.

Lets take the first possibility. This would be newly released movies. Some people may not have access to watch these movies, or depending on their location, the cost may be too great. They turn to the utilization of bit torrent client software to get their movie mojo fix. The same can be said for virtually any possible copyrighted data.

This is not an excuse to break the law regardless.

It is because of this, that the many bit torrent indexing services have had to make compromises with various authorities both locally and internationally. There is always a high probability of downloading copyrighted data. But lets face the facts. A warning that states that you may or may not be downloading intellectual copyrights of another, is mainly ignored due to the possibility that you are infact at the indexing site to get copyrighted data.

The truth is. That if there was no such thing as copyrighted data, there would most likely never be a need for bit torrent client software, since you could simply go to Microsoft and download the latest copy of their operating system free of charge. But then that would not work, because then Bill Gates would not be the richest man on the face of the planet.

Although, compromises generally are more of a forced reconciliation on the website’s side and no of the intellectual copyright holder’s side. Otherwise we would see lower prices for the thing that we are planning to download.

As it has been stated before though, the law is the law and it must be obeyed, and it is for this reason that the bit torrent indexing websites have become targets for the copyright authorities. It is not physically possible for the various copyright authorities to go after everyone. As a matter of fact, they cannot. Even according to US law, if you were to purchase a pirated movie, the one who gave you access to that movie is the one who would be responsible. The same goes for the indexing websites. Due to the fact that they are a channel or means for one to access pirated data, in general, they are the one who would take the burden of the punishment. They also believe, that by shutting down the bit torrent indexing websites that they will stop the trade of intellectual data. In reality, if the indexing services were shut down, there would always be another way to access this data.

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