So is the idea beyond this that if file or a group of files were to be distributed over many computers (possibly hundreds or more) then none of the computers would be "responsible" for their content? I would think that any participant in the network would have to claim full responsibility for the content, assuming the file(s) could be accessed from any of the participating servers.
Okay. So what if serveral groups of computers, in public FTP directories, allowed anonymous ftp uploads of "parts" of a file that would be construde as bad content. The only way to assemble the file is to download several parts of it from serveral diffrent servers and assemble the file on your system. Thus the illegal file isn't illegal until its assembled. Sorta like switchblade knives. Lots of places can sell the parts legally, they just can't sell the assembled product. Would the servers that contain "parts" of the file be responsible for the content?
PGP encrypting a file and putting it on an ftp site is unusable unless you have the key to unlock it.. in this sense the file is only partly on-line and therefore there would be no need to even split the file apart to various servers! Would the site containing this PGP encrypted data be responsible for it's content?