BitTorrent Warner deal heralds legal movie downloads

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 09 May 2006 20:18

Your IT - Home IT

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and peer-to-peer file sharer BitTorrent have announced a deal in which Warner will become the first major studio to provide legal video content via the BitTorrent publishing platform.

The peer-to-peer technology behind BitTorrent is designed for the delivery of large files like TV programs and films. BitTorrent will provide the first peer-assisted technology platform to offer US consumers legal content on both a video-on-demand (VOD) and electronic sell through (EST) basis, day-and-date with the DVD release.

The announcement follows BitTorrent's agreement with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to eliminate pirated online digital distribution of content from its searches. Content on the BitTorrent.com website uses BitTorrent's "file-swarming" technology, which enables the transfer of massive files from a website to a PC with the speed and bandwidth made possible by peer-assisted transfers.

Unfortunately for those outside the US, however, the service, which will be launched from June, will not be available at this stage.