Abstract

The chapter deals with the social impact of P2P systems in light of a bidirectional connection by which technological developments influence, in a complex and often unpredictable way, the social environment whereas the dynamic evolution of the latter does affect technological progress. From this perspective, the aim is to deepen legal issues, sociological trends, economical aspects, and political dimensions of P2P technology, along with some of its next possible outputs, in order to assess one of the most compelling alternatives to the traditional frame of highly centralized human interaction.