BitTorrent
BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing technology that distributes the information within a media file to "peer" computers. When a file is requested by an end user, the distributed information is reassembled and downloaded into a cohesive final file. The distributed nature of BitTorrent removes the storage limitations that come from housing large media files. BitTorrent, Inc. develops and maintains the BitTorrent protocol and associated software.
Unlike past P2P technology, such as Napster, BitTorrent does not store or index available files. Third-party index services, such as the popular Pirate Bay torrent tracker, link to available media files through "torrents" (simple files that act as guideposts toward the desired media file).
BitTorrent technology has received considerable media coverage due to its use as a piracy tool. However, some content creators/publishers have made their material freely available through torrent sites as a way to drum up interest, and a number of companies have incorporated BitTorrent technology into their devices and systems.
Author Paulo Coelho Illustrates the Upside of Openness
Budding authors may not be able to duplicate the success of Paulo Coelho, but Coelho's willingness to experiment across mediums is certainly worth studying. From Jeff Jarvis' Guardian column: Coelho...News Roundup: Web Focus Yields Revenue for Tech Publisher, Out-of-Print Books Return Via POD, UK's First E-Reader, TorrentSpy Hit with $110+ Million Judgment
Tech Publisher Finds Path to Web Revenue Tech/trade publisher International Data Group (I.D.G.) rolled one of its largest magazines, InfoWorld, into a Web-only publication in April 2007. A profile of...TorrentSpy Hit with $110+ Million Copyright Judgment
Defunct BitTorrent index TorrentSpy has been ordered to pay more than $110 million in damages for copyright infringement. From News.com: The judge ordered TorrentSpy to pay $30,000 per copyright infringement...Responsibly Assuaging Author Concerns about File Sharing and "Piracy"
Eric Freeman, co-author of O'Reilly's Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML and Head First Design Patterns, recently asked via email about a rise in activity for Head First...BitTorrent as a Book Publicity Tool
The author and publisher of two new Mac books posted both titles as free downloads on BitTorrent.- Stay Connected
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