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."
