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Gaim-Integrated Filesharing

Jail for filesharers is ridiculous. We need to stop it.
The lawsuits aren't enough. The major record labels are literally trying to send people to prison for sharing music, and a new bill in Congress right now would let them. We can't let that happen-- it is a completely, utterly, unacceptable political tactic. We've written a detailed write-up for a simple, new approach to filesharing that could make the major labels' tactics useless. It would let you search, browse, and share files with your friends in your IM program. It would be simple, natural, and completely secure from outside snooping.
The Future of Filesharing
And secure, private filesharing isn't just important for keeping kids out of jail, it's also key to the future of filesharing. The most exciting uses of peer-to-peer technology are still in many ways on the horizon. Content created by individuals, shared by individuals will finally have it's day when the distribution network is perfected. But filesharing, which is the key to making this possible, is being intentionally tainted by the RIAA. Blocking their efforts to destroy the technology is key to taking it to the next level.

Share with friends of friends
Your friends aren't the RIAA. Their friends aren't the RIAA. But just sharing in this small circle you're sharing with hundreds of people. With this software there would be no need to worry about security, so everyone could share their entire library.

Downloads are direct, fast
Anonymous networks like MUTE or Freenet work by passing files around from user to user. The problem is, this gets really slow. But when you're sharing with people you trust, all downloads can happen directly.

Invite friends right from your buddy list
If trusted filesharing isn't integrated with IM, it's just not going to work. Who wants to have to manually exchange IP addresses or encryption keys? Our plan builds trusted filesharing into the ad-free chat client Gaim. That way-- whether you use AIM, MSN, Yahoo, or Jabber--when you start up the first time, all your buddies are right there, and you can invite them into the network.

Secure filesharing for everyone
Making a program that only geeks can use won't cut it. The goal, after all, is to keep people out of jail. What's great about integrating filesharing into an IM client is that the interface will be familiar and non-threatening to everyone. And the interface itself explains the security advantages of the program in simple terms: you share with friends.

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