Peer-to-peer Applications and Impact on ISPs' Operations Charles Mok Internet Society Hong Kong 2008.06.04

What is Peer-to-peer? A peer-to-peer (P2P) computer network uses diverse connectivity between participants in a network and the cumulative bandwidth of network participants rather than conventional centralized resources where a relatively low number of servers provide the core value to a service or application. Ad hoc connections Sharing of storage, cycles, bandwidth, content, etc. File sharing, or sharing real-time data, such as telephony

A peer-to-peer (P2P) computer network uses diverse connectivity between participants in a network and the cumulative bandwidth of network participants rather than conventional centralized resources where a relatively low number of servers provide the core value to a service or application.

Ad hoc connections

Sharing of storage, cycles, bandwidth, content, etc.

File sharing, or sharing real-time data, such as telephony

P2P applications File sharing Bit Torrent Napster eDonkey, eMule Foxy WinMX Telephony Skype Video streaming Joost PPLive, PPStream, Coolstreaming, etc.

File sharing

Bit Torrent

Napster

eDonkey, eMule

Foxy

WinMX

Telephony

Skype

Video streaming

Joost

PPLive, PPStream, Coolstreaming, etc.

P2P applications Bioinformatics P2P networks can be used to run large programs designed to carry out tests to identify drug candidates Academic Sciencenet P2P search engine: a free and open search engine for scientific knowledge LionShare: MIT and Simon Fraser U. project for large file-sharing among education institutions Business Distributed computing, but security concerns Military

Bioinformatics

P2P networks can be used to run large programs designed to carry out tests to identify drug candidates

Academic

Sciencenet P2P search engine: a free and open search engine for scientific knowledge

LionShare: MIT and Simon Fraser U. project for large file-sharing among education institutions

Business

Distributed computing, but security concerns

Military

Bit Torrent et al. However, illegal file sharing dominates Hong Kong: first successful BT prosecution in the world 2005: 古惑天皇 uploaded three movies using BT Violating the copyright ordinance: copying and distribution to public Upheld by Final Court of Appeals Has copyright infringing file sharing activities subsided or not?

However, illegal file sharing dominates

Hong Kong: first successful BT prosecution in the world

2005: 古惑天皇 uploaded three movies using BT

Violating the copyright ordinance: copying and distribution to public

Upheld by Final Court of Appeals

Has copyright infringing file sharing activities subsided or not?

BT still dominates 1/2007: At any given moment, about 9.5M P2P users on the Internet, with 3-5M using BT alone.

1/2007: At any given moment, about 9.5M P2P users on the Internet, with 3-5M using BT alone.

Decline of recorded music 2007 estimate: Global music sales will drop to US$23B in 2009, just over half of 1997's US$45B and down 16 percent from 2006.

2007 estimate: Global music sales will drop to US$23B in 2009, just over half of 1997's US$45B and down 16 percent from 2006.

ISPs reactions to P2P Millions of users participating in file-sharing which contribute 50-80% of the traffic load on Internet platforms in some Western countries Some ISPs started to sniff out P2P traffic on their networks and curb it, either slowing it down or stopping it altogether 8/2007: Comcast (#2 ISP in US) “silently” started limiting subscribers use of BT and penalize heavy downloaders by suspending service 6/2007: Time Warner Cable announced it would slow down bandwidth intensive P2P traffic during peak hours on its Road Runner service 8/2007: Two UK ISPs said it was reluctant to carry traffic from BBC's P2P audio/video application, iPlayer

Millions of users participating in file-sharing which contribute 50-80% of the traffic load on Internet platforms in some Western countries

Some ISPs started to sniff out P2P traffic on their networks and curb it, either slowing it down or stopping it altogether

8/2007: Comcast (#2 ISP in US) “silently” started limiting subscribers use of BT and penalize heavy downloaders by suspending service

6/2007: Time Warner Cable announced it would slow down bandwidth intensive P2P traffic during peak hours on its Road Runner service

8/2007: Two UK ISPs said it was reluctant to carry traffic from BBC's P2P audio/video application, iPlayer

Legal reactions to P2P Copyright Board of Canada Imposed a US$25 government fee on each MP3 players and iPod, similar to what is done for audio tapes and blank CDs – manufacturers usually pass on the cost to consumers (2003)‏ This levy goes into a fund to pay musicians and songwriters for 'revenues lost from consumers' personal copying.' ISP responsibility proposals, e.g. 'three strikes' rules to ban repeated file-sharing users France, UK, Australia, etc.

Copyright Board of Canada

Imposed a US$25 government fee on each MP3 players and iPod, similar to what is done for audio tapes and blank CDs – manufacturers usually pass on the cost to consumers (2003)‏

This levy goes into a fund to pay musicians and songwriters for 'revenues lost from consumers' personal copying.'

ISP responsibility proposals, e.g. 'three strikes' rules to ban repeated file-sharing users

France, UK, Australia, etc.

'Make P2P Legal' Voluntary collective licensing: 'performing rights organization' i.e. CASH Compulsory licensing: requires copyright holders to make their works available for fair compensation, e.g. to allow cover versions Works only if the majority of copyright owners join and forgo lawsuits in exchange for a reasonable price.

Voluntary collective licensing: 'performing rights organization' i.e. CASH

Compulsory licensing: requires copyright holders to make their works available for fair compensation, e.g. to allow cover versions

Works only if the majority of copyright owners join and forgo lawsuits in exchange for a reasonable price.

Net neutrality Free of restrictions on the kinds of equipment attached, on the modes of communication allowed, which does not restrict content, sites or platforms, and where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams. Protecting consumers against discriminatory practices by ISPs, for bandwidth control reasons or even censorship Net neutrality vs. prioritization or even QoS EU: proposes toimpose minimum QoS to prevent ISPs from degrading customers (2007)‏ UK: "an answer to problems we don't have, using a philosophy we don't share" (2006)‏

Free of restrictions on the kinds of equipment attached, on the modes of communication allowed, which does not restrict content, sites or platforms, and where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams.

Protecting consumers against discriminatory practices by ISPs, for bandwidth control reasons or even censorship

Net neutrality vs. prioritization or even QoS

EU: proposes toimpose minimum QoS to prevent ISPs from degrading customers (2007)‏

UK: "an answer to problems we don't have, using a philosophy we don't share" (2006)‏

Net neutrality Proponents Consumer Union Content companies: Google, Yahoo!, eBay, Microsoft Tim Berners-Lee, Steve Wozniak, etc. Vint Cerf: "The Internet was designed with no gatekeepers over new content or services. A lightweight but enforceable neutrality rule is needed to ensure that the Internet continues to thrive." Opponents Telecom companies, ISPs Equipment vendors: Cisco, Alcatel, etc. Free market think tanks: Cato Institute etc. Bob Kahn: "net neutrality is a slogan that would freeze innovation in the core of the Internet."

Proponents

Consumer Union

Content companies: Google, Yahoo!, eBay, Microsoft

Tim Berners-Lee, Steve Wozniak, etc.

Vint Cerf: "The Internet was designed with no gatekeepers over new content or services. A lightweight but enforceable neutrality rule is needed to ensure that the Internet continues to thrive."

Opponents

Telecom companies, ISPs

Equipment vendors: Cisco, Alcatel, etc.

Free market think tanks: Cato Institute etc.

Bob Kahn: "net neutrality is a slogan that would freeze innovation in the core of the Internet."

Local perspectives P2P is mainly an issue of: Copyright infringement Data privacy and information security Cost to ISPs Some unfairness for those who don't P2P/BT? However: P2P video streaming is not as popular as in the Mainland Skype impact on voice traffic/business is taken for granted Net neutrality is not much debated: consumers not asking ISPs lack of consumer advocacy?

P2P is mainly an issue of:

Copyright infringement

Data privacy and information security

Cost to ISPs

Some unfairness for those who don't P2P/BT?

However:

P2P video streaming is not as popular as in the Mainland

Skype impact on voice traffic/business is taken for granted

Net neutrality is not much debated: consumers not asking ISPs

lack of consumer advocacy?

Thank you Charles Mok Internet Society Hong Kong [email_address] [email_address] http://www.isoc.hk/ http://charlesmok.blogspot.com/ http://www.it360.hk/

Charles Mok

Internet Society Hong Kong

[email_address]

[email_address]

http://www.isoc.hk/

http://charlesmok.blogspot.com/

http://www.it360.hk/