Editing BearShare

{{Short description|Peer-to-peer file sharing application}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox software
| name = BearShare
| logo = Logo of BearShare from Website.jpg
| screenshot = 
| caption = Bearshare 8.0.0.67530 running in [[Windows Vista]]
| developer = Free Peers, Inc.<br />MusicLab, LLC.
| released = December 4, 2000<ref>{{cite press release|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010125023300/http://www.bearshare.com/news1.htm |url=http://www.bearshare.com/news1.htm |date=December 4, 2000 |title=First official BearShare version release by FreePeers.com |archive-date=January 25, 2001 |publisher=Bear Share |url-status=dead |access-date=September 1, 2016 |df=mdy }}</ref>
| discontinued = yes
| operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| genre = [[Peer-to-peer file sharing]]
| license = [[Proprietary software]]
| website = http:<wbr />//www<wbr />.bearshare<wbr />.com/ (defunct)
}}
'''BearShare''' was a [[peer-to-peer file sharing|peer-to-peer-file-sharing]]-application originally created by Free Peers, Inc. for [[Microsoft Windows]] and also a rebranded version of [[iMesh]] by MusicLab, LLC, tightly integrated  with their music subscription service.

==History==
The principal operators of Free Peers, Inc. were Vincent Falco and Louis Tatta.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1176 |title=BearShare History |publisher=Slyck.com |access-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121172308/http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1176 |archive-date=January 21, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bearshare was launched on December 4, 2000, as a [[Gnutella]]-based peer-to-peer file sharing application with innovative features that eventually grew to include IRC, a free library of software and media called BearShare Featured Artists, online help pages and a support forum integrated as dedicated web browser windows in the application; as well as a media player and a library window to organize the user's media collection.<ref name="Archive of BearShare's User Guide.">{{cite web|title=Archive of BearShare's User Guide.|url=https://technutopia.com/bearshare/help/userguide.htm|work=BearShare Online Help|access-date=October 18, 2012|author=Joel Young|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110105900/http://www.technutopia.com/bearshare/help/userguide.htm|archive-date=January 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the June 27, 2005 [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] decision on the ''[[MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.]]'' case the BearShare Community support forums were abruptly closed during negotiations to settle an impending lawsuit with the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Record labels send more letters to P2P services|url=http://news.cnet.com/RIAA-sends-letters-to-P2P-services/2100-1030_3-5867085.html?tag=cd.top|publisher=CNET News|access-date=October 19, 2012|author=Dawn Kawamoto|date=September 15, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=StreamCast Reports Failure of Talks With Film and Music Firms|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-08-fi-stream8-story.html|access-date=October 18, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=8 April 2006}}</ref> The webmaster and forum administrator immediately created a new site called Technutopia and the same support staff continue to support the gnutella versions from there. A few months later the unused Community window was removed from BearShare 5.1.<ref>{{cite web|title=BearShare 5.1.0 changelog|url=http://webpages.charter.net/msw101144/bsx/History.txt|access-date=October 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610202201/http://webpages.charter.net/msw101144/bsx/History.txt|archive-date=June 10, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On May 4, 2006, Free Peers agreed to transfer all their BearShare-related assets to MusicLab, LLC (an [[iMesh]] subsidiary) and use the $30 million raised from that sale to settle with the RIAA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slyck.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22181 |title=BearShare Settles |publisher=Slyck.com |access-date=June 2, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212062738/http://www.slyck.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22181 |archive-date=February 12, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=File-share firm averts legal move |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4976902.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref>

On August 17, 2006, MusicLab released a reskinned and updated version of [[iMesh]] named BearSharev6 which connected to its proprietary [[iMesh]] network instead of [[gnutella]].<ref name="iMesh Inc. Subsidiary MusicLab Announces Beta Launch of BearShare Authorized Peer-to-Peer Service; Offering Includes ToGo Portable Music Subscription Service and Social Networking Features">{{cite web|title=BearShareV6 Launch Press Release|url=http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060817005185&newsLang=en|publisher=Business Wire|access-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref> BearShareV6 and its successors offer paid music downloads in the [[PlaysForSure]] [[Digital rights management|DRM]] controlled [[Windows Media Audio|WMA]] format as well as free content in various formats, chiefly MP3.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bearshare.com/helpfiles/html/TypesofMediaContentinBearshare.html |title=Types of Media Content in Bearshare |publisher=Bearshare.com |access-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229130827/http://www.bearshare.com/helpfiles/html/TypesofMediaContentinBearshare.html |archive-date=December 29, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Like BearShare they also include a media player and embedded online and social networking features but with a Web 2.0 style, somewhat similar to [[MySpace]] or [[Facebook]].<ref>{{cite web|title=BearShareV10 Features.|url=http://support.bearshare.com/index.php?/News/NewsItem/View/1/the-best-file-sharing-software-just-got-better|access-date=October 18, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005110626/http://support.bearshare.com/index.php?%2FNews%2FNewsItem%2FView%2F1%2Fthe-best-file-sharing-software-just-got-better|archive-date=October 5, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bearshare.com/helpIM.html |title=Instant Messenger Questions |publisher=Bearshare.com |access-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107104653/http://www.bearshare.com/helpIM.html |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Free content provided by users is automatically verified using [[acoustic fingerprinting]] as non-infringing before it can be shared. Video files more than 50 Mb in size and 15 minutes in length cannot be shared, ensuring television shows and feature-length movies cannot be distributed over the network. Only a limited set of music and video file types can be shared, thus excluding everything else like executable files, documents and compressed archives.

In August 2006, MusicLab released a variant of the original BearShare [[gnutella]] servant, called BearFlix, which was altered to limit sharing, searches and downloads to images and videos. Shared videos were limited in length and duration, similar to limits in BearShareV6. The first release was version 1.2.1.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soft82.com/download/Windows/BearFlix |title=Soft82 release history |publisher=Soft82.com |access-date=October 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412113006/http://www.soft82.com/download/Windows/BearFlix |archive-date=April 12, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> Its version numbers appear to start from 1.1.2.1 in the user interface but it presents itself on the gnutella network as versions 6.1.2.1 to 6.2.2.530. This version has since been discontinued by MusicLab and no longer available on their websites; however, it remains in wide usage{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}.

On October 27, 2008, responding to uncertainty around the future of [[PlaysForSure]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Hutchinson |first=Lee |url=https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080422-drm-sucks-redux-microsoft-to-nuke-msn-music-drm-keys.html |title=DRM sucks redux: Microsoft to nuke MSN Music DRM keys |publisher=Arstechnica.com |date=April 22, 2008 |access-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref> MusicLab added [[iPod]] support in BearShareV7.

As of June 12, 2016, BearShare is no longer available to download. The official page with a message announcing its discontinuation remained active until March 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bearshare.com|title=Bearshare support|website=bearshare.com|access-date=June 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610123246/http://www.bearshare.com/|archive-date=June 10, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Popular versions==

Three variants of the original BearShare [[gnutella]] servant were distributed by Free Peers: Free, Lite, and Pro. The Free-version had higher performance limits than the Lite version but contained some [[adware]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/BearShare-Review-14307.shtml |title=BearShare Review - BearShare Download |date=December 7, 2005 |publisher=Softpedia |access-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zeropaid.com/bearsharelite/ |title=BearShare Lite |publisher=Zeropaid.com |access-date=October 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226122433/http://www.zeropaid.com/bearsharelite/ |archive-date=February 26, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> The Pro version had higher limits than both the Free and Lite versions but cost [[United States dollar|US$]]24. Version numbers in this series ranged from 1.0 to 5.2.5.9. Though lacking MusicLab's support a wide spread of BearShare versions from 4.7 to 5.2.5.6 remain the second most popular servant on gnutella, alongside LimeWire.

Old-School fans of the gnutella versions tend to favour the last of the beta versions, 5.1.0 beta25,<ref>{{cite web|title=BearShare B25|url=https://technutopia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2002&p=31022#post31022|access-date=November 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610114232/https://technutopia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2002&p=31022#post31022|archive-date=June 10, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> because it has no adware, is hard-coded for performance levels roughly between Pro and regular (ad-supported) versions and has the unique ability to switch between leaf and ultrapeer mode on demand, a feature deemed necessary for effective testing. No other gnutella servant has enjoyed this capability.

The most recent MusicLab version, V10, was available by free download from their support website<ref name="Download & Installation">{{cite web |url=http://support.bearshare.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/3/2/download--installation |title=Download & Installation &#124; BearShare Support |work=support.bearshare.com |date=November 17, 2011 |access-date=October 15, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122092840/http://support.bearshare.com/index.php?%2FKnowledgebase%2FArticle%2FView%2F3%2F2%2Fdownload--installation |archive-date=January 22, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and "Pro" features could be unlocked with a six or twelve-month subscription. Access to premium content required a $9.95 monthly subscription. Customers in Canada and the U.S.A. could opt for a $14.95 monthly "BearShare ToGo" subscription which allowed downloads of premium music to portable music players.<ref name=Versions:Subscriptions>{{cite web|title=Subscriptions|url=http://support.bearshare.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/28/5/free-subscription|publisher=MusicLab|access-date=October 18, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122092906/http://support.bearshare.com/index.php?%2FKnowledgebase%2FArticle%2FView%2F28%2F5%2Ffree-subscription|archive-date=January 22, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20001206210900/http://www.bearshare.com/ BearShare Official Website]

{{Gnutella|Gnutella clients}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bearshare}}
[[Category:Windows-only proprietary software]]
[[Category:2000 software]]
[[Category:File sharing software]]
[[Category:Online music stores of the United States]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2016]]