File Sharing

Tired of the entertainment industry treating you like a criminal for wanting to share music and movies online? We are too -- EFF is fighting for a constructive solution that gets artists paid while making file sharing legal.

The RIAA's and MPAA's irrational war on P2P is not generating a single penny for artists. In fact, despite lawsuits against many P2P providers and over 20,000 music and movie fans, file sharing is more popular than ever.

Yet the lawsuits have forced ordinary Americans to pay thousands of dollars to music and movie industry lawyers, while many innocent individuals have been caught in the crossfire. What's more, the entertainment industry has threatened innovation in P2P systems and many other tools that help you get more from your media.

These lawsuits have no end in sight, and it could get even worse -- the industry has pushed Congress to ratchet up civil and criminal sanctions for file sharing and to restrict innovation.

You can help put a stop to this misguided campaign. Already, many artists are turning against the lawsuits, and over 60 million people in the United States have used file sharing -- more than the number of people who voted for our current President. Together, we can forge a better way forward.

Sign our petition opposing the lawsuits, and donate to support our efforts.

Learn more about how EFF has fought to end the war on P2P

• EFF has proposed ways for artists to get paid without fans getting sued.
• EFF helped establish legal protections for privacy online, including the privacy of P2P users.
• EFF has assisted Internet users mistakenly caught in the industry's dragnet.
• EFF has helped P2P users sued by the RIAA and MPAA find legal counsel.
• EFF took MGM v. Grokster to the Supreme Court and defended the right of innovators to build new technologies without begging Hollywood's permission first.
• EFF helped beat back the INDUCE Act, which threatened innovation and P2P systems.
• EFF debunked Audible Magic's P2P filtering solution.
• EFF pushed for sensible solutions for college campuses concerned with file sharing.
• EFF started a petition to Congress opposing the RIAA lawsuits.
• EFF and its members helped defeat the Berman "P2P Vigilantism" Bill in 2002.