This is a timeline of events in the history of file sharing.

[edit] Before 1970s

• Punched tape used to as data storage device for CNC machines, Teleprinter communication, Key storage in cryptography^{[citation needed]}
• Punched card used to store data for textile looms, Voting machine^{[citation needed]}
• Magnetic tape data storage^{[citation needed]}
• Cassette Tape
• Core Memory^{[citation needed]}
• Solid State ROM^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 1970s

8-inch floppy disk drive compared in size to 3.5" floppy disk of 1984

• 1971 — The 8-inch floppy disk, the first removable magnetic media and the first removable media, is developed by an IBM team led by David Noble.^[1] It allows for manual file transfer. Removable media would become a target of media industry efforts against the sharing of intellectual property.^[2] Predecessor of CD-ROMs and flash media.
• 1978/02 — Ward Christensen's CBBS becomes the first Bulletin board system.^[3] BBS access is limited to phone lines until early 1990s.
• 1979 — Usenet conceived by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.^[4] Its primary purpose is to facilitate focused discussion threads within topical categories (Usenet newsgroups), but it also allows the transfer of files. As of 2009^[update] alt.binaries.* newsgroups continue to serve files.

[edit] 1980s

• 1984/01 — In Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.,^[5] the Supreme Court of the United States finds that making individual copies of complete television shows for purposes of time-shifting is fair use. This case would create some interpretative challenges to courts in applying the case to more recent file sharing technologies available for use on home computers and over the Internet.
• 1985/10 — File Transfer Protocol is standardized in RFC 959, authored by Postel and Reynolds.^[6] FTP allows files to be efficiently uploaded and downloaded from a central server.
• 1988/08 — Internet Relay Chat is created by Jarkko Oikarinen.^[7] IRC users can exchange files via Direct Client-to-Client.

[edit] 1990s

• 1990/11 — The World Wide Web is formally proposed by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau.^[8]
• 1991/12 — Mp3 is finalized as an ISO/IEC standard.^[9][10]
• 1992 — Software Publishers Association runs an anti-copyright infringement campaign Don't Copy That Floppy
• 1997/04 — Winamp audio player is released,^[11] leading to increased use of mp3 files.
• 1997/08 — Hotline is announced at MacWorld,^[12] and allows chat, forums, and file transfers. It becomes popular among Mac users.
• 1997/11 —
  

  
  MP3.com is founded by Michael Robertson and Greg Flores.^[13] Initially an FTP search engine, MP3.com becomes a hosting service for unsigned artists. It serves 4 million audio file downloads per day at its peak and becomes the largest technology IPO in July 1999. The release of My.MP3.com in January 2000, which allowed users to stream their own files, would prompt litigation. In May 2000, UMG v. MP3.com, would be ruled in favor of the record labels. MP3.com would settle for $200 million and discontinue the service.^[14]
• 1998/03 — The MPMan F10, the first MP3 player, is launched.^[15]
• 1998/09 — Rio PMP300 mp3 player is shipped by Diamond Multimedia.^[16] Its popularity leads the RIAA to file a temporary restraining order in October, without success.^[17][18]
• 1998/10 — Digital Millennium Copyright Act is unanimously passed by the US Senate. The DMCA would become the basis for numerous legal actions against file sharing services.
• 1998/11 —
  

  
  Audiogalaxy is created by Michael Merhej.^[19] Initially an FTP search engine, the Audiogalaxy Satellite P2P client would reach 1 million downloads in 2001. In May 2002, a suit by the RIAA would force Audiogalaxy to block sharing of illegal songs. In June 2002, Audiogalaxy would settle the suit for an undisclosed amount and make its services opt-in. In September 2002, Audiogalaxy would discontinue P2P services in favor of Rhapsody, a for-pay streaming service.
• 1998/12 — MP3 Newswire, the first digital media news site, is launched. ^[20]
• 1999/06 —
  

  
  Napster is created by Shawn Fanning. Napster used a centralized structure where indexing and searching is performed on Napster servers.^[21]. Individual files, however, remain on the hosts' computers and are transferred directly from peer to peer. In December 1999, the first lawsuits would be filed against Napster.^[22] Usage would peak in February 2001, with 26.4 million users. In July 2001, Napster would shut down its network to comply with an injunction.

[edit] 2000

• 2000/01 — My.MP3.com is released by MP3.com.^[23]
• 2000/03 — Gnutella becomes the first decentralized file sharing network with the release of a network client by Justin Frankel and Tom Pepper of Nullsoft.^[24]
• 2000/03 — Phex (formerly FURI) Gnutella client released.^[25]
• 2000/05 — UMG v. MP3.com causes My.MP3.com to shut down.
• 2000/06 — Slyck.com (originally Slyway.com) launches.^[26]
• 2000/07 —
  

  
  Freenet is created by Ian Clarke. Its goal is to provide freedom of speech through a peer-to-peer network which focuses on protecting anonymity. Files are distributed across the computers of Freenet's users. Ian Clarke's paper would become the most-cited computer science paper of 2000.^[27] Freenet would become a darknet in 2008.
• 2000/09 —
  

  
  eDonkey2000 client and server software is released by Jed McCaleb, introducing hashing into decentralized file sharing.
• 2000/10 — Napster is credited with driving Radiohead's Kid A album to the top of the Billboard charts.^[28]

[edit] 2001

• Feb - A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.
• Feb - Napster peaks at 26.4 million users.

• Mar - Kazaa and the FastTrack proprietary protocol are released by Niklas Zennström, Janus Friis, and Priit Kasesalu. The Kazaa client came bundled with malware. Legal action in the Netherlands would force an offshoring of the company, renamed Sharman Networks. In September 2003, the RIAA would file suit against private individuals allegedly sharing files via Kazaa. In September 2005, UMA v. Sharman would be ruled against Sharman by the Federal Court of Australia. Sharman's non-compliance would prompt censorship of the program in Australia. In June 2006, the MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. would cause Sharman to settle for $100 million and convert Kazaa to a legal-only file sharing program.

• Apr - Morpheus is released by MusicCity (later StreamCast), after licensing the FastTrack protocol.^[29][30] MusicCity had previously operated OpenNap servers. Morpheus would become a popular FastTrack client, with 4.5 million users, until licensing disputes and a protocol switch in February 2002. In March 2003, the Morpheus client was re-released to operate on Gnutella, using Gnucleus servant as its core. In June 2005, a redesigned Morpheus client would be released. In June 2006, MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. would be decided against StreamCast. In June 2008, the Morpheus client would become no longer be available for download.

• Apr - gtk-gnutella client is released.^[31]
• Jul - Napster shuts down due to injunction.
• Jul - OpenNap servers spring up.^{[citation needed]}
• Jul - Audiogalaxy Satellite client reaches 1 million downloads.^{[citation needed]}
• Jul - BitTorrent released by Bram Cohen. ^[32]
• Aug - ShareReactor eDonkey network index site founded. It would be taken down by police in March 2004.
• Aug - Direct Connect network and the Advanced Direct Connect protocol introduced. DC++ would become the most popular client.
• Sep - LimeWire Gnutella client is released under open source. ^[33]
• Oct - Mutella client is released. By 2007, it would no longer be functional.^{[citation needed]}
• Nov - GNUnet is first publicly announced.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2002

• Feb - The Kazaa protocol switch shuts out Morpheus.
• Jan - JASRAC and RIAJ vs Yugen Kaisha Nippon MMO in Tokyo district court, causing File rogue(ファイルローグ) ordered to shut down on April 9.^{[34][35][36][37][38]}
• May - eMule is released^[39] and soon^[specify] becomes the eDonkey2000 network's most popular client^{[citation needed]}
• May - Audiogalaxy takes steps to block illegal files due to RIAA lawsuit.
• Jun - Audiogalaxy settles RIAA suit for undisclosed amount, its file sharing becomes limited.
• Jun - First release of Shareaza by Michael Stokes.
• Jun - Applejuice released.
• Jul - Overnet introduced by the creators of eDonkey2000 implementing Kademlia protocol.
• Jul - Soribada(소리바다) was closed in July 11 by Suwon District Court South Division.^[40]
• Aug - P2Pnet is founded by Jon Newton.
• Sep - Audiogalaxy discontinues P2P services.
• Oct - Soulseek file sharing program released.
• Nov - Gnutella2 protocol is announced.
• (Fall) - Suprnova.org torrent index goes online.

[edit] 2003

• Jan - isoHunt torrent index founded by Gary Fung. As of 2008, it serves over 40 million unique searches per month.
• May - Poisoned is released. It is the first Kazaa client for the MacOS X platform.^{[citation needed]}
• Sep - RIAA files suit against individuals allegedly sharing files on Kazaa.
• Sep - TorrentSpy is registered. It would be shut down in March 2008, and in May 2008 it would be ordered to pay the MPAA $110 million in damages.
• Nov - Winny source code is confiscated by the Kyoto Police
• Nov 21 - The Pirate Bay (TPB) bittorrent tracker is founded by Gottfrid Svartholm, Fredrik Neij, and Peter Sunde. It is based in Sweden. It has remained active despite numerous legal actions and a police raid in May 2006. As of June 30, 2009, it is the 117th most popular site on the Internet according to Alexa.
• eMule introduces the Kad network, which implements the Kademlia protocol.

[edit] 2004

• 2004/03/10 — ShareReactor shut down by Swiss Police.
• 2004/05/10 — Winny developer Isamu Kaneko is arrested for suspected conspiracy to commit copyright violation.^[41]
• 2004/06/01 — Shareaza becomes open source with the release of v2.0 of the software^[42]. As of 2008, almost all of the major clients on this network are open source.
• 2004/10/28 — The RIAA files an additional 750 lawsuits aimed at alleged copyright violations from file sharing.
• 2004/12/14 — Suprnova and many other torrent indexes closed after cease and desist orders by MPAA.
• 2004/12/14 — LokiTorrent refuses to comply with cease and desist orders, quickly gains 680,000 users, and $40,000 in legal fund donations. Its legitimacy would later be questioned and it would be taken over by MPAA in February 2005.

[edit] 2005

• 2005/01 — Mininova torrent index goes online as a successor to Suprnova. It has served 5 billion downloads as of May 2008.^[43]
• 2005/01 — eXeem goes online and rumored/adversed as "the revenge of suprnova". The program failed to gain popularity and was eventually abandoned months later.
• 2005/02 — LokiTorrent indexing service shut down and is taken over by MPAA.
• 2005/03 — Avalanche BitTorrent alternative proposed.^[44] Is criticized by BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen^[45].
• 2005/06 — Grokster developers are found guilty by the United States Supreme court of encouraging copyright infringement ^[46]
• 2005/06/30 — EzPeer^[47] wins its case vs IFPI Taiwan^[48] in Shihlin district court. The high court would later reject an appeal, but ezPeer would settle with IPFI Taiwan. As of 2008, it is a legal music download service.
• 2005/09/05 — UMA v. Sharman^[49]
• 2005/09/13 — WinMX servers owned by Frontcode are shut down due to a cease and desist letter from the RIAA. Developer groups would set up new servers days later.^{[citation needed]}
• 2005/09/09 — Kuro(酷樂) loses its case vs IFPI Taiwan in Taipei local court. It would also lose its case vs Push Sound Music & Entertainment on December 19, 2006^[50]. Kuro would lose its appeal in the Taiwan high court on July 16, 2008. Chairman Chen Shou-ten (陳壽騰), CEO James Chen(陳國華), president Chen Kuo-hsiung(陳國雄), and one of Kuro's 500,000 members Chen Chia-hui (陳佳惠), were sentenced to fine and jail.^[51] It shut down its P2P services in 2006, and has become a legal music download service.^[52]
• 2005/09/28 — eDonkey2000 and Overnet are discontinued following a cease and desist letter from the RIAA.

[edit] 2006

Pro-file sharing demonstration in Sweden after the police raid against The Pirate Bay, 2006.

• 2006/02/21 — Razorback2, a Swiss indexing server and one of the biggest on the eDonkey network, is raided and taken down.^[53]
• 2006/05/31 — Swedish police raid The Pirate Bay.
• 2006/06/27 — MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. is decided.
• A busy CD music mp3 download site Boxup closed down and membership transfer to coxoo, then discontinued.^[54][55][56]

[edit] 2007

• 2007/08/21 — Suprnova.org is relaunched by The Pirate Bay.^[57][58]
• 2007/10/12 — RIAA files a lawsuit against Usenet.com, accusing it of being an illicit peer-to-peer file sharing site.^[59][60]
• 2007/10/23 — OiNK's Pink Palace BitTorrent Tracker is raided and shut down by a joint effort between Dutch and British police.^[61]
• 2007/10/24 — The civil-court jury trial for Capitol v. Thomas, the first lawsuit by major record labels against an alleged file sharer, concludes with a verdict for the plaintiffs and a statutory damage award of $9,250 for each of 24 songs, for a total of $222,000. This was vacated due to an error in jury instruction, and a new trial was held in 2009.
• 2007/11/09 — The Demonoid BitTorrent tracker shuts down until April 2008 citing legal threats by the CRIA.
• 2007/12/20 — Shareaza.com, the homepage of Shareaza, is taken over by Discordia Ltd., a company closely related to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). It now distributes software containing spyware and adware.^[62]

[edit] 2008

• 2008/01/10 — A trademark claiming the name Shareaza is filled by Discordia Ltd.^[63]
• 2008/03/24 — TorrentSpy shuts down citing hostile legal climate.^[64]
• 2008/05/07 — TorrentSpy is ordered to pay $110 million in damages by US court.
• 2008/05/08 — Freenet Darknet rewrite is released.
• 2008/04/11 — Demonoid comes back online.
• 2008/08/08 — Italy prevents their citizens from accessing The Pirate Bay and forwards their traffic to IFPI instead. ^[65]
• 2008/10/10 — An appeal by The Pirate Bay's lawyers succeeds in lifting the Italian ban.
• 2008/10/29 — Morpheus website taken down; client is no longer available.
• 2008/11/27 — A Danish court rules that ISPs must block access to the website The Pirate Bay ^[66][67].
• 2008/12/16 — ShareReactor is reopened by The Pirate Bay.^[68]
• 2008/12/19 — The RIAA claims to have ended its P2P litigation campaign against individuals in the U.S., which had been losing money^[69], in favor of a three strikes campaign^[70][71]. However, some new lawsuits continued to be filed.^[72]

[edit] 2009

Protestors demonstrating against The Pirate Bay trial on February 16th 2009.

• 2009/02/16 — The Pirate Bay trial starts.^[73]
• 2009/02/23 — OneSwarm is released.
• 2009/04/17 — The Pirate Bay trial concludes with a guilty verdict; each defendant is sentenced to one year in jail and a total of 30 million SEK (3.6 million USD, 2.7 million EUR) in fines and damages. The people behind The Pirate Bay declare they will appeal the ruling.^[74]
• 2009/04/24 — Legal fees in record industry lawsuits cause SeeqPod to sell its technology; the site closes until it finds a buyer. ^[75]
• 2009/06/15 — In the retrial of the 2007 Capitol v. Thomas case, a jury again finds in favor of the plaintiffs, and awards statutory damages of $80,000 per song, for a total of $1.92 million.
• 2009/06/30 — The Pirate Bay sold to Swedish gaming company Global Gaming Factory (GGF).^[76]
• 2009/09/30 — GGF fails to produce the funds to purchase The Pirate Bay and the deal is put to an end. ^[77]
• 2009/11/26 — Mininova has removed torrents to all copyrighted content that it does not have official agreements for. ^[78]
• 2009/12/13 — Demonoid is Back online. ^[79]

[edit] Statistics

• http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/8002/p2p.html 2008-04, Top P2P applications by percent as measured by 1.6 million PCs.
• http://torrentfreak.com/p2p-statistics-080426/ 2008-04, Filesharing Report Shows Explosive Growth for uTorrent
• Google trends: kazaa, limewire, torrent, emule - comparison of networks/clients over time.
• Google trends: suprnova, mininova, pirate bay, torrentspy - comparison of torrent trackers and search engines.
• http://www.p2pnet.net/story/2797 2003-04, average simultaneous total p2p users.
• http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=763 2003-05, total broken by ed2k DC kazaa Gnutella Overnet
• http://ocbmaurice.dyndns.org/pl/ed2k_stats.pl current ed2k stats
• http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/6719.cfm cachelogic 2005 file formats (also [1],[2])
• http://torrentfreak.com/peer-to-peer-traffic-statistics/ 2006 cachelogic p2p as percent of total traffic

[edit] References