According to the Globe & Mail, the RIAA feels it has essentially won the online file swapping war, as use of the big P2P networks dropped by nearly 50% since October. Here’s the original G&M article.

There are two problems with the analysis though. The first is that several offerings came out during the August – November period, most notably iTunes, which satisfied many users needs.

The second is that leading up to the Christmas season, the P2P networks typically see a drop in usage anyways from all but hardcore swappers, as many people are getting the music they want.

As a final thought, I can easily see P2P networks (at least music swapping ones) dropping in prominence anyways as the uses for MP3 become more and more mainstream. Heck, I’m even about to buy one as the new FM transmitters are a godsend.