www.ccsenet.org/ijbm International Journal of Business and Management Vol. 6, No. 9; September 2011 Investigating the User Behavior of Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Software Shun-Po Chiu (Corresponding author) PhD candidate, Department of Information Management National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan, Taiwan & Lecture, Department of Information Management Vanung University, Jhongli, Taoyuan, Taiwan E-mail:
[email protected] Huey-Wen Chou Professor, Department of Information Management National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan, Taiwan E-mail:
[email protected] Received: March 26, 2011 Accepted: May 10, 2011 doi:10.5539/ijbm.v6n9p68 Abstract In recent years, peer-to-peer file sharing has been a hotly debated topic in the fields of computer science, the music industry, and the movie industry. The purpose of this research was to examine the user behavior of peer-to-peer file-sharing software. A methodology of naturalistic inquiry that involved qualitative interviews was used to collect data from 21 university students in Taiwan. The results of the study revealed that a substantial amount of P2P file-sharing software is available to users. The main reasons for using P2P file-sharing software are to save money, save time, and to access files that are no longer available in stores. A majority of respondents use P2P file-sharing software to download music, movies, and software, and the respondents generally perceive the use of such software as neither illegal nor unethical. Furthermore, most users are free-riders, which means that they do not contribute files to the sharing process. Keywords: Peer to peer, File sharing, Naturalistic inquiry 1. Introduction In recent years, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network transmission technology has matured.