P2P network originates in Palestinian refugee camp

By Cory Doctorow at 1:52 pm Thursday, Aug 14

A pair of entrepreneurs in a Palestinian refugee camp have set up a file-sharing network using an app called Earthstation 5 that has been downloaded over 22 million times and has been translated into more than a dozen languages, including Turkish and Chinese. The app has a bunch of legal attack-resistance included in its design and deployment, though it remains to be seen how hard it really is to figure out who's using the app to share what.

"We're in Palestine, in a refugee camp," said Ras Kabir, the service's co-founder. "There aren't too many process servers that are going to be coming into the Jenin refugee camp. We'll welcome them if they do."

On its face, Earthstation 5 appears to be at the leading edge of the movie and music industry's next nightmare -- copyright-flouting networks based in a territory without strong intellectual property laws, with security built in that protects users from scrutiny. Indeed, the company is confident enough in its territorial immunity that it even streams and offers downloads of full albums and first-run movies like "Terminator 3" and "Tomb Raider" directly from its own servers, an activity that has previously resulted in lawsuits and the prompt disappearance of predecessors.

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