BitTorrent, the company behind one of the leading software programs for downloading large internet files, yesterday said it had ex-panded its line-up of content partnerships to include several big film studios.
The company said 20th Century Fox, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures and a handful of other studios had agreed to offer popular titles through the BitTorrent online store, which is set to launch in February. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The news, which comes two months ahead of a panned roll-out of a BitTorrent online store, marks a further sign of big media companies' embrace of digital distribution models.
It caps the latest in a string of victories for BitTorrent, which is months away from rolling out a paid on-line service that will compete with Apple's popular iTunes music store. Earlier this year, BitTorrent struck a similar deal with Warner Bros and a handful of other studios. Ashwin Navin, BitTorrent's co-founder and president, said the deal was a "true testament to the value of our community, technology and the position we aspire to play in the world of entertainment and content distribution."
The BitTorrent protocol, which was developed by BitTorrent co-founder and chief executive Bram Cohen, struck fear into the hearts of content makers when it launched in 2001. The protocol, which allows users to download big files at record speed, became the distribution platform of choice for many sites offering pirated copies of music and films.
BitTorrent company, which was founded in 2004, last year received $8.75m in start-up funding from Doll Capital Management, an early-stage venture firm. It later struck a deal with Hollywood studios that allowed it to come in from the cold by removing links to unauthorised content from the BitTorrent.com website.
But a number of sites using the BitTorrent protocol continue to offer pirated content. Such sites have be-come a focus of Hollywood's anti-piracy efforts following the demise of Grokster, and other peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Some estimate BitTorrent files account for more than 40 per cent of internet traffic.
"BitTorrent has fundamentally changed the Internet . . by enabling high-speed and high-quality content distribution on the web," said Mr Navin. "Today we have announced the role BitTorrent.com will play as a hub for consumers to enjoy their favourite entertainment, but we see a future that involves BitTorrent's content delivery platform powering thousands of websites, including those of content creators themselves."
