Instead of downloading a file in its entirety, BitTorrent gathers pieces of the file you want and transfers them simultaneously from other sources. How does it put the pieces back together? See more »

If you want to play MP3 files in your car and your car has a CD player in it, or if you want to play them on your home stereo, then what you need to do is move your MP3 files onto a CD. Here's how. See more »

The digital revolution that has empowered consumers to use digital media in new and innovative ways has also made it nearly impossible for copyright holders to control the distribution of their property. Enter "digital rights management," or DRM. See more »

Get a refresher on the original Napster and why it caused such a storm about intellectual property laws. See more »

Compression programs can eliminate 50 to 95 percent of file size in seconds, but when you open up the file the data is still there! Learn how compression algorithms cut down on bytes without killing data. See more »

File-sharing allow millions of people to freely trade MP3 and video files on the Internet. Is it legal? How are the files exchanged? Is there a central database? Find out how the file-sharing structure works and see why it makes it difficult for record labels to sue. See more »

With unlimited file sharing comes the big question: Should users be granted unrestricted -- and free -- access to copyrighted movies, music and games? Find out how Kazaa has weathered the legal storm so far. See more »

LimeWire is a peer-to-peer file sharing system that features music and other media downloads shared between users. Learn about LimeWire in this article. See more »

CDs took care of storing music digitally, then MP3 files took it to the next level, compressing audio data down to a manageable file size -- without losing sound quality! Learn about the miracle of MP3. See more »

While the original Napster got sued out of business, dozens of free file-sharing utilities have popped up to take its place. Find out how the old Napster worked and why it was vulnerable to legal attacks. See more »