James Delahunty
15 Feb 2006 1:20
Even though the number of P2P users connected to networks continues to rise despite litigation, and more and more BitTorrent sites pop up despite raids and lawsuits, studio officials and others involved in combating piracy say there is reason for optimism. This claim comes from the reality that more and more consumer electronics companies and even Internet service providers become interested in developing new methods of distributing digital content.
"Since the Grokster case was decided, there has been a significant shift in mindset," Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) executive VP Fritz Attaway said at the Media Summit sponsored by McGraw Hill. "I think there’s much more of a sense of shared interest in doing something about the problem, not just among the companies I represent but among many of the technology companies that used to oppose us. Look at Verizon, they were on the other side of the Grokster case, but now they’re a content provider and they share interests with us."
Consumer Electronics Assn. VP government affairs Michael Petricone concurred. "Both the studios and the consumer electronics companies share a massive interest in moving forward in developing new digital distribution businesses," he said. Also agreeing, but itching to point out that the movie industry is only really beginning to get an idea about digital distribution now, Michael Weiss, CEO of Grokster's co-defendant Streamcast Networks, says that P2P companies were always willing to work closely with Studios.
"If you look at what Warner just announced in Germany, the studios are finally starting to embrace peer-to-peer," Weiss said. "We’ve said all along that we could be an ally of the content companies." He is referring to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's plan to launch a movie download service in Germany that is based on P2P technology. The major question is though, what way does consumer attitude move toward? The entertainment industry believes that consumer attitudes are changing due to the massive rise in legitimate downloading. Of course, this phenomenon could also simply be explained by the fact that legal services have only just arrived?
Source:
Video Business