The basic principle of the file-sharing networks is that each participant can offer local files on their computer which they mark as “shared” to other users. After a file is marked as “shared”, the file is available to every participant of the file-sharing network.
In order to start file sharing, users need to install a special program on their local computer which is called a “file-sharing client”. This program – as well as other specific search engines – can be used to search for the desired files. When users found what they were looking for in the file-sharing network, they can transfer the chosen file via download onto their own computer. Basically, it is possible to trigger several downloads in a sequence or even simultaneously so that a large number of file downloads are performed fully automatically.
In common usage, the files which a user downloads from the file-sharing network are being made available to the entire community right away – this makes it possible that files are being rapidly distributed in a very short period of time.
Because all files can be downloaded or offered to download in a file-sharing network without the permission of the particular rights owner, it lies in each user’s own responsibility to make sure that they do not illegally download copyright-protected works or offer those works for download to other users.
As a file-sharing network could not “survive” if only file downloads were performed, all file-sharing networks also implement data uploads (or more precisely: the “making files available for download”).
In all file-sharing networks, regardless of whether the network incorporates centralized servers to process incoming enquiries or whether it fully operates without any server, the sharing of files always occurs between the clients themselves (this is where the term “Peer to Peer” evolves from; any copy operation always requires a direct 1:1 connection between the sharing clients).
