Communications of the ACM
Researchers Find Blocking Internet Pirating Sites Is Not Effective
Credit: New Rising Media
Northeastern University researchers recently conducted a study on the effectiveness of anti-piracy measures taken by content providers to deter the illegal sharing of files on the Internet. The research indicates that strategies such as blocking sites by seizing domains names does not do much to stop the sharing of protected files. The researchers found that as sites were blocked, the availability of certain files dropped, but only for a short time until other sites started offering the blocked files, making the blocking action ineffective.
The researchers also monitored the number of file-sharing sites that are believed to currently host pirated content, and found more than 10,000 domain names covering more than 5,000 IP addresses. The Northeastern researchers concluded that the practice of blocking file-hosting sites has done little to reduce the number of illegally shared files available for download. Instead, they suggest that taking away the ability to process payments from such services could be a much more effective strategy for curbing illegal file sharing.
From PhysOrg.com
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