The IT Law Wiki

Definition[]

Many file-sharing programs use the concept of a shared folder. Basically,

[w]hen the [software program] is first installed, [it] creates a folder named ‘Shared’ on the user's computer. By default, any file placed in that ‘Shared’ folder is available to anyone else on the Internet who uses the [software] application. Also by default, any file a user downloads through the [software application] is automatically placed in that ‘Shared’ folder and is therefore offered by that user for further downloads by other users. These default behaviors can be changed by the user: a user could turn off sharing altogether, designate another folder with a different name to serve as the ‘Shared’ folder, manually remove files from the ‘Shared’ folder (or whatever folder had been designated) and prevent them from being shared on an individual basis.[1]

References[]

  1. United States v. Lewis, 554 F.3d 208, 211 (1st Cir. 2009).