The new file-sharing tool OneSwarm is spreading fast, especially in Sweden. From April, a new anti-file-sharing law will enable copyright owners to request Swedish file sharers’ identities from Internet Service Providers. This identification will be difficult, or impossible, when file sharers use OneSwarm, which offers anonymity protection. Another difference compared to BitTorrent is that OneSwarm users don’t depend on a central server. Hence, websites like The Pirate Bay will be unnecessary.
According to the OneSwarm team at the University of Washington, more that 100 000 people visited their website during the first twelve days after the OneSwarm client was released. This was despite the absence of any marketing efforts. More than 40 percent of the people who visited the project’s website came from Sweden.
The number of computers that currently have OneSwarm installed is unknown since the software can be freely distributed. Just from the project’s own website, more than 25 000 copies have been downloaded.
As support for interaction with major social-network sites will be built into OneSwarm, the number of users is expected to rise dramatically.
