An overview of VoIP and P2P copyright and lawful-interception issues in the United States and Taiwan

With the evolution of increasingly sophisticated Internet communication technologies, ensuing legal and policy issues have also emerged. VoIP (voice-over-Internet Protocol) and P2P (peer-to-peer) file-sharing software are two relevant examples of the differing characteristics of Internet communications compared to traditional communication technologies, e.g., telephone, cell phone or client-and-server architecture, from the viewpoint of government surveillance (or the investigation of copyright infringement) and the protection of user privacy. Herein, we try to make observations and opinions regarding the legal issues related to VoIP and P2P file-sharing software.