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If you are so inclined, this new technology will make it quicker to steal others' intellectual property. It sounds like it's going to be pretty hard to stamp this one out.
1 posted on 10/04/2004 10:10:03 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

BitTorrent is effectively "unstampable" for two reasons.

The first and largest is that the RIAA/MPAA have only been able to stamp out Napster/Morpheus, et al because they have shown in court that the primary purpose of those networks is to infringe copyrights. BitTorrent, on the other hand, has been around for quite a while and was simply designed as an efficient tool to move large files across the Internet without overloading a single server. It has a huge number of legitimate users and is heavily utilized in the Open Source community. It's true that people DO use it to infringe copyright, but the RIAA/MPAA will never be able to show that infringement is its primary purpose. Without that, their cases will fail.

The other reson any lawsuits will fail is the lack of any real NETWORK. Unlike Napster, Gnutella, and the other file swapping applications, BitTorrent doesn't let you search for MP3's or video files across the network. You have to locate a download on your own and download the torrent file, which will allow you to connect to people sharing THAT FILE ONLY. It's not an efficient way to locate pirated films and music, and doesn't qualify as "file sharing software" under any of the currently accepted legal definitions.

If anything, the RIAA/MPAA will have an easier time controlling BitTorrent downloads than with previous file sharing tools. Because BitTorrent doesn't allow people to share their file lists or search for specific movies, BitTorrent pirates have to rely on websites and chatrooms to locate the torrents they want to connect to. Killing piracy simply requires them to shut down the websites directing people to the pirated material...something already covered by current law that they don't need a lawsuit to accomplish. If they find a webpage with illegal torrents, they just need to C&D the websites host and shut it down. That'll keep BitTorrent piracy out of the mainstream while preserving it for legitimate users.


67 posted on 10/04/2004 12:20:13 PM PDT by Arthalion
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

AZUREUS will give them a fit. Especially with XCOPY 321 Xpress to copy the coded videos. Not advocating it - stealing is stealing - don't do it.


74 posted on 10/04/2004 12:47:40 PM PDT by Henchman (Kerry lied, good men died!)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

BTW, some have posted some very legitimate uses for BIT TORRENT, so RIAA don't go nutz. There are numerous anonymizers that preclude IP reading and the ISPs are loath to give out customer info. Have fun guys. No one advocates stealing you prescious crap.


79 posted on 10/04/2004 12:52:16 PM PDT by Henchman (Kerry lied, good men died!)
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