The Suprnova.org announced its closure with a message that did
not make reference to legal pressures, but simply said: "We are
very sorry for this, but there was no other way, we have tried
everything," according to a report by the BBC. The site is now
off-line.
BitTorrent is a protocol designed for transferring files.
BitTorrent users connect to each other directly to send and receive
portions of any file – rather than entire file being swapped at
once, as on a Kazaa or Grokster-type network.
A central server called a BitTorrent tracker coordinates the
action of all such peers. Crucially, the tracker manages the P2P
connections to share distribution of a file, rather than sharing
the file itself. This way, many users can access a file such as a
movie as it is being downloaded, using less bandwidth than if each
user had to stream the movie separately. Meanwhile, the
co-ordinating server has no knowledge of the contents of the files
being traded.
There are other P2P networks like BitTorrent. Each relies on
servers named after its particular brand of software: BitTorrent
"trackers" become eDonkey "servers" and DirectConnect "hubs". The
central servers index and link to digital files of all kinds and
when accessed by a user, deliver the chosen movie, game, software
or music track using the relevant software.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) targeted these
server operators only last week, filing over 100 lawsuits in the US
and UK, accusing the web site operators of helping on-line pirates
steal hundreds of millions of illegal copies of movies and TV
programs.
A number of web sites have closed so far, but Suprnova.org is
the most prominent of these to go.
