P2P

File sharing is the practice of well, sharing files with other users in a network. For most people, they share files on the internet, allowing anyone to access and download them. P2P file sharing is mostly the same, except that it is through users downloading files through other's machines. Through a client/website, users can find, access, and download files that are stored on another user's machine.
P2P file-sharing can be music, ebooks, movies, and video games, allowing free distribution of media to anyone that can access it.

Since this is done for free, however, there is much debate in terms of the legality and fairness of file sharing. Many companies, use DRM or Digital Rights Management to protect their digital property and to ensure they're getting their money for the software. As a gamer, myself, DRM ten years ago such as SecuROM and their bad policies regarding ownership were trouble to deal with. Games shipped with paper product keys and these would be lost easily. "Cracked" P2P downloads gave me the only way to play some games since I couldn't ask my parents to buy me another.


Work cited:
Wikipedia on Digital Rights Management technologies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management