About BitTorrent
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 the 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.
The action
This is the first time that the MPAA has specifically taken
action against sites involved in the illegal swapping of TV shows –
a form of piracy that it says has become a serious and growing
problem.
The six sites targeted by the action – ShunTV, Zonatracker,
Btefnet, Scifi-Classics, CDDVDHeaven and Bragginrights – facilitate
the illegal swapping of copyrighted material to over 100,000 people
daily, according to the MPAA.
"Internet thievery of all creative materials is unacceptable and
these thieves need to realise they are not anonymous," said MPAA
President and CEO Dan Glickman. "There are thousands of people in
the entertainment industry who are working to develop, produce, and
promote television shows. Those shows and those jobs are worth
protecting."
The announcement follows earlier actions against BitTorrent
server operators and P2P users, accused of trading digital copies
of films over the internet in breach of copyright.
According to MPAA officials, the industry is making progress in
shutting down many of the BitTorrent sites that are dedicated to
illegally swapping movies. Over 90% of the sites that have been
sued have been shut down entirely, while the percentage of servers
that are operating has decreased by well over 40%.
"Since we began shutting these sites down, the time that it
takes to download a file on BitTorrent has increased exponentially
which means the experience of downloading copyrighted films and TV
shows is not what it used to be," said Glickman. "We intend to make
it even worse. Protecting the television industry is
essential."
