The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) initiated litigation against users of BitTorrent — a faster, more sophisticated file sharing protocol that speeds file transfers by segmenting the content and downloading parts from multiple users according to who offers the best broadband access to an individual computer. By suing users, the MPAA is following the litigation strategy already in place by the RIAA against music downloaders.
BitTorrent is a variation on the typical P2P scenario. Files are found not through the application itself but through links on websites. These trigger the code to download the content, grabbing files where possible from peers rather than the initial server. The intent is to improve the speed and flow of the data. The issue has significant implications for audio at a time when high-resolution audio formats such as DVD-A, SACD and DualDisc are gaining traction. The MPAA had already initiated legal action against alleged file sharers of films using P2P protocols.
For more information, visit www.mpaa.org.
