Although the BitTorent file sharing protocol has become synonymous in many people's minds with piracy, it's also used to legally distribute things like Linux disc images and free MP3s. Brian Cohen, creator of the BitTorrent technology, says he's been trying to find a way to use it for commercial purposes for years. He believes BitTorrent DNA is such a product.
As streaming video and audio become more common, content providers are constantly looking for new ways to deliver it at a reasonable price, and the cost of bandwidth is no small part of the picture. By using P2P technology, companies can provide licensing for content, while their customers help provide bandwidth by sharing the downloaded content among themselves.
According to BitTorrent President Ashwin Navin, most companies spend more than $0.20 per hour to stream video, making it a money losing venture. BitTorrent DNA lowers costs by allowing files to also be downloaded from other customers' computers.
"It uses your computer in a way that's very polite. When you're downloading something you're also uploading something," said Navin. "Users are aware of that when they read the user agreement when they download the BitTorrent (software) client."
For years there have been some who have championed P2P technology for exactly this kind of thing. The EFF, for example, outlined a music licensing system that would allow consumers to access a company's entire music catalog and share them on a closed P2P network to keep piracy concerns down. Recently, music label executives have also been publicly talking about similar plans being considered.
Ironically, this might change BitTorrent from the entertainment industry's scapegoat to their savior.
Source: Reuters
Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 9 Oct 2007 5:54
