Bit Torrent is one of the most popular peer to peer networks which means…you’ve got it! If you’ve been using it, you’ve been downloading illegally. That however is about to change.
Bit Torrent is a five year old company now. It distributes a piece of file sharing software that makes it easier for people to download big files like music, movies and other digital content, into smaller packets. According to their spokesperson, Lily Lin, there are over 90 million people downloading via Bit Torrent today, which accounts for 40 to 60 percent of the world’s online traffic.
Very soon that 90 million will be downloading legally from Bit Torrent since the company has begun to clean up its act. They now have some of the music and videos of bands such as Death Cab for Cutie (care of Atlantic Records), Postal Service. Hot Hot Heat, the Shins, Iron and Wine and Band of Horses available for legal download. They also signed an agreement with Warner Bros. last May to legally sell copies of some of their hit movies such as “Harry Potter” in a Bit Torrent store which will launch next year.
They’ve also partnered with the Motion Picture Association of America to crack down on those who have been using Bit Torrent as a home for Internet Piracy. Lin says that they are taking down all material that infringe on the rights of intellectual property. She also says that it wasn’t intended that Bit Torrent ended up being used to facilitate piracy and they are working to clean up.
It is good that the music and movie industries are recognizing the importance of Bit Torrent and working with them to make their downloading legal instead of pulling another Napster act with the RIAA. Bit Torrent announces that there’ll definitely be more major and indie-label material available on the site both for sale and for free so people will want to keep using bit Torrent. For now, the Cardigans new song from their upcoming album is available for download for free.
[tags]download,legal download,Cardigans,Harry Potter,Bit Torrent,piracy[/tags]