Warner Bros. Creates New BitTorrent Service

 
By Stacy May 11, 2006




I have said again and again in order to fight piracy networks the movie studios need to adapt and work with technology not against it. It seems that someone at Warner Bros. feels the same way. Warner Bros. has announced that they have made a deal to use BitTorrent’s P2P technology to deliver its television and movies on the internet. This is the same technology that has allowed illegal file sharing for years.

Warner Bros. has been vague on any definite plans, but says the new service could be up this summer. The cost of the service hasn't been mentioned either. It is likely to be comparable to iTunes.

BitTorrent uses a technique called "file swarming" to distribute large files. Rather than download a single large file from one central computer, BitTorrent assembles files from separate bits of data downloaded from other computer users across the Internet.

The movies offered online will have the same release date as the regular DVD. Warner Bros. has again been very unclear about what form the downloads will take,for example if they will have the same features as a DVD. They have said that the service will allow the sale of permanent copies that can be burned to a DVD, but that these copies can only be played on the same computer used for the download and not a regular DVD player.

This again is part of their effort to offer a reasonable alternative to piracy. The television networks' approach using streaming channels is good, but still has a lot of the major problems that encourage illegal file sharing: commercials, speed issues and black out zones.

The deal is aimed at converting some of the file-sharing users who regularly seek illegal copies of films and TV shows by offering them a reliable experience at a reasonable price on the same system used by online pirates."If we can convert 5, 10, 15 percent of the peer-to-peer users that have been obtaining our product from illegitimate sources to becoming legitimate buyers of our product, that has the potential of a huge impact on our industry and our economics," said Kevin Tsujihara, president of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

"Those are the kinds of baby steps to offer users a good trade off, a good alternative to doing things the wrong way," said Ashwin Navin, president and co-founder of BitTorrent.

Source: Associated Press

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