The USA's 10 million P2P users are being encouraged by the Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA), a trade organization with fifty-six Members representing P2P software providers, content rights holders, and service-and-support companies, to download a song by Scooter Scudieri (pictured) – the 'most-searched-for' independent artist on P2P – as a way to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Proceeds from the P2P fund-raiser will be contributed to the Red Cross' Hurricane 2005 Relief fund to help provide shelter, food, counseling, and other assistance to those in need.

“Hurricane Katrina, which devastated parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, is inspiring traditional and digital media to respond with fund-raisers. As the newest online distribution channel, we felt we should also take responsibility to help victims,” said DCIA CEO Marty Lafferty in announcing the launch of this program.

"Music has healing power. I wrote 'This Too Will Pass' early in the summer of 2005 coming out of a personal tragedy. When I saw the devastation in New Orleans, I knew something positive could result from releasing the song's energy," noted Scooter Scudieri on his decision to record this new track to help hurricane victims.

The Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA) is a non-profit trade organization focused on commercial development of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and related distributed computing technologies. "This Too Will Pass,” written and performed by Scooter Scudieri (www.firstrockstar.com), will be distributed via major open P2P software programs – such as BearShare, eDonkey, Grokster, Kazaa, and TrustyFiles – by INTENT MediaWorks (www.intentmediaworks.com).

INTENT CEO Les Ottolenghi added, “In the coming days and weeks, other DCIA Members and industry participants will join us in contributing additional content to this program, and we expect a strong response from P2P users who want to do their parts.”