Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Communications - Multimedia, Internet, New Technologies, grade: High Distinction, Macquarie University (Centre for International Communication), course: New Media, language: English, abstract: This essay examines the usage of peer-to-peer (P2P) networks for music file-sharing and intends to analyse this usage in the context of current copyright policy. This will be achieved by addressing the following issues. Firstly, the history and principle of P2P networks will be outlined. Secondly, it will be analysed whether P2P file-sharing can be seen as an act of 'theft'. Thirdly, the paper will examine how P2P networks are used and what cultural significance they represent. Fourthly, the future of P2P networks will be debated and finally the results of this paper will be summarised and discussed.