Using Peer to Peer (P2P) file-sharing software makes it possible to download music, movies and games from the Internet and share them with friends. However, most of the materials are protected by copyright law. Downloading and sharing copyrighted materials without permission of the copyright holders is illegal. Those who break the law face penalties and university action.

There are numerous programs that offer free and legal streaming or downloading of copyrighted material, including music and videos. They include Spotify, Grooveshark, Pandora, Napster and Imeem. For more information, please visit www.kent.edu/is/security.