Hashing algorithm used for multiple files having identical content and fingerprint in a peer-to-peer network

A system for accessing information in a peer-to-peer network, the peer-to-peer network including a plurality of peer devices and a database system accessible by at least a portion of the peer devices, each of the peer devices being configured to store information files, and further being configured to share content from selected information files with at least a portion of the other peer devices in the network, wherein each shared file in the network has a respective HASH ID associated therewith relating to its file content, the HASH ID being different from a respective filename associated with each file, the system comprising:

• at least one CPU;
• memory;
• at least one interface for communicating with other devices in the peer-to- peer network;
• the at least one CPU adapted to:
• identify a first network addresses corresponding to a first peer device which has been identified as storing a first information file associated with a first HASH ID;
• identify a second network addresses corresponding to a second peer device which has been identified as storing a second information file associated with the first HASH ID;
• transmit a first message to the first peer device request a first portion of file content of the first information file from the first peer device;
• and
• transmit a second message to the second peer device request a second portion of file content of the second information file from the second peer device.

A computer program product for accessing information in a peer-to-peer network, the peer-to-peer network including a plurality of peer devices and a database system accessible by at least a portion of the peer devices, each of the peer devices being configured to store information files, and further being configured to share content from selected information files with at least a portion of the other peer devices in the network, wherein each shared file in the network has a respective HASH ID associated therewith relating to its file content, the HASH ID being different from a respective filename associated with each file, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code comprising computer code for:
• identifying a first network addresses corresponding to a first peer device which has been identified as storing a first information file associated with a first HASH ID;
• identifying a second network addresses corresponding to a second peer device which has been identified as storing a second information file associated with the first HASH ID;
• transmitting a first message to the first peer device requesting a first portion of file content of the first information file from the first peer device;
• and
• transmitting a second message to the second peer device requesting a second portion of file content of the second information file from the second peer device.