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BitTorrent file-swapping networks face crisis
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BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen has eliminated the need for Web site hosting of centralized servers known as "trackers" in the latest beta version of the peer-to-peer software. These servers coordinate the BitTorrent download process and have been a key resource for antipiracy units in identifying people downloading and sharing copyrighted material.
The change may cause problems in shutting down the illegal online distribution of software and content, according to the Business Software Alliance, an industry group.
"Currently, if a tracker site is shut down, many downloads are disrupted," said Tarun Sawney, BSA Asia antipiracy director. "So removing the trackers from the equation will obviously cause those of us on this side of the battle to regroup."
However, Sawney pointed out that BitTorrent files could still be identified. "BSA has traditionally sought the assistance of those hosting the actual pirated files. With or without the tracker sites, someone still hosts the infringing files," he said.
While BitTorrent's Cohen said the tracker removal feature is part of his ongoing effort to make publishing files online "painless and disruptively cheap," the move is only one of several designed to remove BitTorrent's dependence on centralized trackers.
Several of the Internet's largest tracker sites, such as SuprNova.org, were shut down in December following legal action by industry bodies including the Motion Picture Association of America. Similar legal action by Australia's music piracy investigations unit recently targeted local Internet provider Swiftel.
One development effort by Exeem, the group behind the once-popular SuprNova.org, aims to decentralize the BitTorrent protocol in the style of peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa, while a similar effort to Cohen's was announced earlier this month by the developers of advanced BitTorrent client software Azuerus.
Renai LeMay of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.
See more CNET content tagged:
BitTorrent, Bram Cohen, antipiracy, P2P, server
Grokster will win. BitTorrent will work beautifully decentralized. File sharers will win. MPAA + company will lose. The Internet will not be censored or controlled.
Their only hope is to drastically lower the prices on everything, completely get rid of DRM, setting up an iTunes of movies for a dollar per movie or $10/month for unlimited TV, music, movies, MP3s, legally.
But none of that will never happen, of course.
It makes me sad.
0101100110101
It all makes sense to me.
Read this very carefully Mr. Dan Glickman....
YOU....WILL....NEVER....WIN.
later.
scorched earth policy.
pretty soon there will be nothing worth pirating. only then will the MPAA have won.
- It helps, but is still moot...
- by May 21, 2005 10:13 AM PDT
- This shift in how BitT works is great and everything but still doesn't go far enough. It won't have gone far enough until the creators of these problems fix it so that there is no way for anyone to trace how is downloading and who is uploading. Until this happens you are playing legal Russian Roulette with your life and the financial future of your family and loved ones.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- Snocap
- by Mario Nogueira May 22, 2005 1:56 AM PDT
- Well, it seems to me that something like Snocap (www.snocap.com) can help... it traces and charge pennies for whatever copyrighted file you are swapping.
- Like this View reply
Processing -
(18 Comments)The problem is should P2P software move to the point that who is doing what is untracable you can bet the goverment and courts will step it to outlaw the software and technology.
So as I see it there is no way to win this. For either side.
Robert
Imagin the economies of scale... it took iTunes one entire year to sell a million downloads, which is probably worth one or to days of p2p traffic.
There's nothing wrong with copyright, the problem is with the abuses from DRM technologies. Some balance will have to be reached anytime soon.