Taking the Spam Out of File Sharing

Peer-to-peer networks are efficient tools for swapping songs, software, and maybe even research material. Unfortunately, they’re also great at spreading spam and spyware. But researchers at Cornell University are hoping to cut spam out of file-trading with a new program called Credence, which lets connected computers "gossip" to determine which files are real and which are junk.

The technology sounds great on paper, but it is unlikely to go over well with recording and movie studios: The antispam filter could root out the floods of fake song and movie files that the entertainment industry releases online to frustrate peer-to-peer pirates.