BitTorrent offers legitimate downloads
56041
BitTorrent Inc., makers of a technology often used to trade pirated copies of Hollywood movies, is launching a Web site that will sell downloads of films and TV shows licensed from the studios.
130931
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has dropped the hammer on yet another BitTorrent enabler, catching Dallas-based LokiTorrent in its net. LokiTorrent, which offered pointers to unauthorized movie downloads within the...
546128
A pilot program at the Microsoft Download Center will require users to validate their Windows license in exchange for access to file downloads. Users with counterfeit software may find themselves locked out altogether.
541857
A new device capable of detecting and throttling encrypted BitTorrent traffic hits the shelves. The game of cat and mouse between ISPs and BitTorrent users continues. In Monkey Bites.
644855
Napster developer Shawn Fanning is back with a new file-sharing program -- but this time it&#39;s legit. Without revealing all the details of his new venture, Snocap, Inc.
65388
As Comcast ignores reality Unhappy that Comcast is busting BitTorrents, BitTorrent has decided to bust this BitTorrent busting.â¦
742067
The company's antipiracy software adds a "yellow state" for times when it just can't tell if software is genuine.Image: A 'maybe pirate'
755123
Let's see if digital pirates are willing to watch ads to get music.
52690
Contrary to messages from the music industry, not all file sharing rips off artists. Weed, a peer-to-peer file sharing program, provides a way for people to share music and pay artists. By Katie Dean.
553758
The file swapping network BitTorrent has lost most, if not all, of its Hub connections. The quick change in status is believed to be directly correlated with the MPAA threats of legal action if the network continued to operate.
611378
RealNetworks rolls out a media player with clip downloading functionality.
378486
(InfoWorld) - BitTorrent rolled out a paid music and movie download service on Monday, leveraging its fast distribution system infamous for the massive piracy it facilitated when it debuted in 2001. The BitTorrent Entertainment Network -- launched with movies such as "Superman Returns," TV shows including "24" and PC games -- will be a new entrant challenging other download services such as Apple's iTunes Store and Amazon.com's Unbox. BitTorrent's service is stocked with 5,000 movies, TV shows, PC games and music. BitTorrent, based in San Francisco, hasÂ reached agreementsÂ with more than 35 entertainment companies including 20th Century Fox, Viacom's MTV Networks and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer StudiosÂ toÂ offer their content using its P-to-PÂ (peer-to-peer) technology. The technology uses information files called "torrents" that allows users with compatible client software to download files from other users' computers, reducing the infrastructure needed by a company to run a download service. Although widely used for illegal file sharing, companies have struggled to employ P-to-P for viable commercial businesses while also protecting digital content from piracy. BitTorrent will use digital rights management (DRM) technology from Microsoft Corp. that will prevent protected content from being redistributed on the Internet or played on a different PC, according to The New York Times. Content will play through Windows Media Player 11, Microsoft's multimedia application. Some content, however, will not have DRM, BitTorrent said. DRM is loathed by some users, but music and movie companies insist it's integral to protecting their content from illegal file trading. TV shows on BitTorrent are purchased for ownership, but movies will expire after either 30 days or 24 hours after a user starts watching. TV downloads will cost US$1.99, while movie rentals will range from $2.99 to $3.99. By comparison, TV shows cost $1.99 on Unbox, and movies -- that can be owned and played on two PCs and two portable music players -- cost up to $14.99. Similarly, the iTunes Store sells to own, with TV episodes priced at $1.99 and movies ranging from $9.99 to $14.99. The download service puts BitTorrent, founded as a company in 2004, in good standing after music and movie industry trade groups sought to cripple it. Under pressure, in November 2005 BitTorrent removed links to torrents from its search engine that pointed to copyright content. However, illegal file sharing still flourishes using BitTorrent's technology. The company's co-founder, Bram Cohen, open sourced BitTorrent's software, and it has been incorporated into numerous different download clients. Also, search engines designed to find torrents linking to copyright material continue to operate despite efforts to shut them. Â
446227
Slammed for touting unavailable but unlicensed content
523920
The next time somebody asks you how BitTorrent works, fire up a Java applet that illustrates the concept perfectly. And check out how a
517556
BitTorrent Inc., developer of a popular online file-sharing tool, said Tuesday it has reached licensing deals that will boost the number of movies and TV shows it can offer as part of a video download service launching next year.
724229
Moving beyond media downloads, leading peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing company Kazaa, is now offering free, Internet-based telephone service via the Skype voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) application.
399498
A wealth of users and "exceptionally well-written codebase" drive Bram Cohen's company to purchase the lightweight torrent client. Could BitTorrent-powered movie downloads be headed for a mobile device near you? In Monkey Bites.