Here's a new one
Bit-size revolution
File-sharing program meets the need for download speed

By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News
January 28, 2005

If you're not already familiar with it, remember this word:
BitTorrent.

It's a term that hasn't joined the mainstream like iPod or Napster,
but it's striking more fear into copyright owners - the makers of
music, movies, sports, games, software, you name it - than anything
that came before.


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It's the fastest way yet to download music, legally or illegally, on
the Internet. It can move huge files - not just songs but entire
concerts. And it's open to more than just music. Films still in
theaters and television shows that aired the night before are a part
of the growing BitTorrent landscape.

"BitTorrent is one of the biggest advances in Internet technology
since the browser," says Ethan Alpert, the designer and
administrator of CoTapers.org, a local Web site devoted to concerts.

So just what has music collectors salivating and the entertainment
industry shaking? Consider this small sampling of what's available
via the new sites that operate with the BitTorrent technology:

• The latest episodes of Desperate Housewives, Arrested Development
and 24 are available in high-definition TV files at sites such as
www.tvtorrents.ws. Wired magazine has gone so far as to dub
BitTorrent TiVo for the Internet.

• The film Sideways, nominated for a best-picture Oscar Tuesday and
still in nationwide release at theaters, this week was the top
illegal DVD download at piratebay.org, a Swedish site whose
operators believe it is beyond the reach of U.S. copyright laws.

• A concert from the band Gomez - taped with the band's permission
at Boulder's Fox Theatre on Monday - was available for download at
CoTapers.org the following morning.

Like most technology, BitTorrent can be used for good or evil. Some
sites blatantly flout copyright laws, others look for the gray areas
they can exploit and a few such as CoTapers.org take pains to make
sure everything available is legal.

While the legalities are questionable, the burgeoning force of the
BitTorrent scene is not.

It's growing because it's fast. What would once take days to
download now takes hours.

Other advances have helped push the movement forward - high-speed
Internet access is now more prevalent, and new formats allow users
to compress files further without harming the sound quality - but
BitTorrent is proving to be the final, integral part of the
equation.

And in a paradigm that stands computer logic on its ear, the faster
the BitTorrent wave grows, the faster it actually works.

The technology operates by allowing users to take bits of material -
be it from a concert, a film or a TV program - not from just one
user but from the hundreds if not thousands of users who are hooked
up and have the same file. The more people who have that
information, the quicker it is to assemble the complete product.

What's more, the products aren't sketchy, inferior reproductions of
the original, stitched together one three-minute song or film scene
at a time.

It's complete movies in DVD quality. It's entire albums in perfect
sound. It's live concerts, available online just hours after the
last note is played.

While the television and film industries are still relative
newcomers in the battle against Internet piracy, they have the
grizzled music veterans to help them in their fight.

The Recording Industry Association of America just this week
spearheaded an unprecedented coalition of groups - as diverse as the
Motion Picture Association of America and Major League Baseball -
and dozens of musicians, artists, photographers and scores more to
petition the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling on file-swapping.

A previous ruling by a lower court has helped keep such sites afloat
by noting that file-swapping programs can be used for legal
purposes, such as distributing a file with the permission of its
author.

Conversely, the operators of BitTorrent sites devoted to music have
a leg up on those specializing in TV and movies because they have
history on their side, having watched legal troubles bring down
sites where MP3s were once swapped.

From Longmont, CoTapers.org is quietly running its site, with
hundreds of live shows, under guidelines designed to keep it legal
and infringement-free.

Alpert - a software engineer with a commercial satellite imagery
company - makes sure that only "taper-friendly" bands are
represented on the site and goes the extra mile to contact the bands
and their management to get permission to distribute their shows
that way.

"We are trying to keep it completely noncommercial and follow the
wishes of bands. I don't take donations. I try to keep everything on
the straight-up," Alpert says. "As a representative of CoTapers.org,
I'll often communicate with management of the bands to find out if
they have a taping policy and then get the word out."

Unlike many rock stars - The Eagles, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks and
Jimmy Buffett are part of the RIAA's new coalition against file-
sharing - many touring musicians are grateful to have their music
spread far and wide, by whatever means.

"So many people are leaning toward the wave of the future. You get
with it or you're left behind," says singer-songwriter Keller
Williams, who has become a Colorado favorite largely through word of
mouth and lots of live shows. His work is a favorite at
CoTapers.org, and he encourages it.

Many bands tape every show and sell them through their own Web
sites, but Williams thinks that's a bit of a rip-off, because not
every show is perfect.

"I'm not into selling my mistakes," he says. If fans want it,
however, he'll give it to them. "I'm totally good with that. You pay
for the tickets, you can tape the show. It's a beautiful thing. It's
meant to be listened to."

Other artists take a similar stance.

"Many bands, especially ones that are touring and making their
dollars by visiting 150 cities a year, see a great advantage in
getting their recordings shared," Alpert says. "It gets their names
out. Now that CoTapers has a Web presence, people know about us."

Using normal file-transfer protocol technology, Alpert could
transfer a full concert from his computer to two users in 24 hours.
Using BitTorrent, "we can now do hundreds" in the same time, he
says.

There still could be legal problems, but they're fairly minor
compared with the wholesale copyright violations many sites commit.
For instance, if a band covers a Bob Dylan song in its set and the
show ends up on CoTapers.org, there's a technical problem with the
publishing rights.

For some fans, BitTorrent has completely changed the way they get
music.

"I pretty much have a workstation dedicated to my music," says Tim
Scales, a design engineer in Longmont. He's essentially downloading
shows "at all times," he says.

"I download shows approximately twice a week unless it is a heavy
music month," says Bill Kuntz of Boulder. "The last two weeks I have
been downloading all of the shows from Jam Cruise (a recently
completed charter cruise featuring jam bands), and my PC has been
linked up downloading for the last week."

In one respect, CoTapers.org is merely eliminating footwork. Tapers
in the state were keeping in touch with one another via mailing
lists and sharing their music freely. But it involved figuring out
what was available, physically burning the music to CD and mailing
it or dropping it off to other tapers.

Now it's much easier to get the same results by clicking a few keys.
And if it turns out to sound bad or have other problems, you merely
delete.

"Because of CoTapers.org, I have a copy of almost every show I have
attended in the state," Kuntz says. "Prior to BitTorrent, it would
take sometimes months to track down a show, especially from a
smaller band or venue."

But harsh enforcement of copyright laws is bound to come swiftly.

"It's not anonymous. Anybody can connect to a BitTorrent download
and see all the (Internet addresses) of people who are connected,"
Alpert says. "The people using it for illegal purposes - they're
really being stupid."


Mark Brown is the popular music critic. Brownm@...
or 303-892-2674

--- In rhiannonsenchantedgarden@yahoogroups.com, rhiannon102_44420
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
>
> Here's an articles I found...
> Famous folk among those filing briefs on file-sharing
>
> Wed Jan 26, 6:50 AM ET Business - USATODAY.com
>
>
> By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
>
> An avalanche of music industry professionals, state attorneys
> general and educators, as well as U.S. Solicitor General Paul
> Clement, filed briefs with the Supreme Court Tuesday asking to
have
> a controversial Internet file-sharing decision overturned.
>
>
> • Ford recalls nearly 800,000 pickups, SUVs
> • SBC reportedly pursuing AT&T
> • Kmart briefly bathed in blue light
> • Riggs Bank pleads guilty in money laundering probe
> • Grieving father spends nest egg to investigate Accutane
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> -----------
>
> Search USATODAY.com
>
>
>
>
>
> Related Quotes
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> USA TODAY Snapshot
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>
>
> The top court is scheduled in March to hear the case of the record
> labels and movie studios, vs. file-sharing companies Grokster and
> Morpheus. Lower courts found that users of their systems were
liable
> for copyright infringement, but the owners weren't.
>
>
> Among those who filed briefs: The Eagles, the Dixie Chicks (news -
> web sites), Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Tom Jones and
> Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson.
>
>
> "There is no more important case for the future of our business,"
> said Don Henley of the Eagles. "These systems promote copyright
> violations on an unprecedented scale."
>
>
> About 13 billion songs were available for unauthorized free
trading
> on online swap networks in 2004, according to Internet measurement
> service BigChampagne. Around 200 million songs last year were sold
> to consumers at authorized sites such as Apple's iTunes and
Yahoo's
> Musicmatch.
>
>
> The flip side to the music and movie industry position is that
> overturning the Grokster case would stifle innovation.
>
>
> Supporters point to the 1984 Betamax ruling, when the high court
> said that VCRs weren't liable for copyright infringement, a
decision
> that ultimately paved the way for new products such as today's
iPod
> digital music device and TiVo (news - web sites) digital video
> recorder.
>
>
> "Betamax established a clear legal principle," says Gary Shapiro,
> president of the Consumer Electronics Association, which plans to
> file its own briefs next month in support of Grokster/Morpheus.
>
>
> "A product is legal if it has legal uses," he says. "We're
petrified
> of what the court could do to limit new technology."
>
>
> The number of people rounded up by the studios and labels to urge
> the court to overturn the decision could seem daunting, but Fred
von
> Lohmann, one of the lawyers representing Grokster, says it was no
> different in 1984.
>
>
> "All the prominent movie stars of the day talked about how the VCR
> was the death of Hollywood," he says. "The court wasn't fooled
then
> by the parochial interests of one industry, and it won't be now."
>
>
> Michael Weiss (news - web sites), CEO of StreamCast, which owns
> Morpheus, said companies like his "can be part of the solution for
> the future of digital distribution of entertainment and is not
part
> of the problem."
>
>
>
********************************************************************
> Press Release Source: Palace Sports and Entertainment
>
>
> DTE Energy Music Theatre Listed as 2004 Top Attended Amphitheatre
> and Honored With 'Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue' Nomination by
> Pollstar Magazine
> Tuesday January 25, 1:00 pm ET
> Meadow Brook Music Festival Also Enjoys Another Successful Season
>
>
> AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy Music
> Theatre was listed as the world's most attended outdoor concert
> venue in 2004 for the 14th consecutive year and was nominated
> as "Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue" in Pollstar magazine's
annual
> Concert Industry Readers Poll. It is the 12th time it has been
> nominated under the ownership and management of Palace Sports and
> Entertainment (PS&E) and it won the honor in 2000.
> ADVERTISEMENT
>
>
> Results of the poll will be announced by the leading entertainment
> trade publication in February.
>
> Overall, more than 834,000 guests attended DTE Energy Music
> Theatre's 68 shows, far exceeding the second most attended
> amphitheatre listed in Pollstar's year-end chart, the Tweeter
Center
> For The Performing Arts in Massachusetts, with 468,400. PS&E also
> ranked ninth in total tickets on the World Top 100 Promoters list.
>
> Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University
> posted another successful summer as more than 170,000 guests
enjoyed
> 43 events.
>
> "We are pleased with the fine turnout for our outdoor venues this
> summer; it shows that our area concert-goers are still the best in
> the nation," said Tom Wilson, President and CEO of PS&E. "Despite
> poor early summer weather, a slow economy and the cancellation of
> several major tours, we maintained our attendance pace at both
> amphitheatres and we would like to thank our Detroit music fans
for
> their loyalty."
>
> DTE Energy Music Theatre hosted its traditional wide variety of
> musical entertainment including 18 sold out shows: Blink 182 with
> The Used and Taking Back Sunday (May 21); Clay Walker with Al
Lopez
> (June 5); Creedence Clearwater Revisited with Randy Brock (June
26);
> Tim McGraw with Big & Rich and The Warren Brothers (July 2);
> Nickelback and 3 Doors Down with Puddle of Mudd and Thornley (July
> 6); John Michael Montgomery (July 11); Evanescence with Seether
and
> Three Days Grace - pavilion only (July 15); Beach Boys - evening
> performance (July 17); "Projekt Revolution" Linkin Park with Snoop
> Dogg, The Used, KORN, Less Than Jake and more (July 26); John
Mayer
> with Maroon5 and DJ Logic (August 6); Clint Black with Gary Allan
> (August 8); Barenaked Ladies and Alanis Morissette (August 12);
> OZZfest 2004 (August 17); Lynyrd Skynyrd with .38 Special (August
> 22); Kid Rock & Twisted Brown Trucker with John Nicholson (August
> 26, 27 and 28); and Alan Jackson with Martina McBride (September
25).
>
> Other major summer tours making strong showings at DTE Energy
Music
> Theatre included: Montgomery Gentry and Dierks Bentley (June 18);
> KISS with Poison (June 30); Michael W. Smith and MercyMe with
David
> Crowder Band (July 13); Josh Groban with Mindi Abair (August 7);
Rod
> Stewart (August 18); and Fleetwood Mac (September 14).
>
> Meadow Brook Music Festival continued is tradition of providing
> quality events covering a wide gamut of entertainment including
> Melissa Etheridge with Kate Clinton (June 12); Primus (June 14);
> Crosby, Stills and Nash (July 7); Jewel with Joe Firstman (July
14);
> Harry Connick Jr. (August 6); The Allman Brothers Band with The
> Bottle Rockets (August 29); and Norah Jones with Amos Lee
(September
> 8). Meadow Brook also hosted the best in comedy with Carrot Top
> (July 30); Lewis Black with Dave Dyer (July 31); Weird Al Yankovic
> (August 19); and Richard Jeni (August 28), as well as family
shows,
> five performances of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (July 16-18,
> August 7-8) and the International Wine & Food Festival (June 19-
20).
>
> PS&E ownership includes The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre.
The
> organization also manages Meadow Brook Music Festival on the
campus
> of Oakland University. Combined, PS&E's Michigan venues average
300
> events and 3.5 million guests annually.
>
> The Palace has been voted Arena of the Year eight times by
> Performance magazine and twice by Pollstar magazine and is listed
> annually among North America's top-grossing arenas. Voted "Best
> Outdoor Concert Venue" in Pollstar's 2000 Readers' Poll, DTE
Energy
> Music Theatre has been listed as the nation's most attended
> amphitheater by Amusement Business/Billboard each of the 13 years
of
> PS&E ownership.
>
> PS&E also owns the leasehold rights to the St. Pete Times Forum in
> Tampa, Florida, a 1999 and 2004 recipient of the Prime Site Award
by
> Facilities & Event Management magazine and one of North America's
> top-grossing arenas annually.