Warner Bros to Offer Legal P2P File Sharing Alternative

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

Warner Bros to Offer Legal P2P File Sharing Alternative

12:59 am on February 1, 2006 | Category: Web Services

Warner Bros has made plans to start its own peer-to-peer file-sharing network, allowing internet users to legally download popular movies and TV shows for viewing on a computer.

The new service, called In2Movies, will initially be launched in European markets, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and be expanded to other countries if successful. It will utilize the same technology as many illegal file sharing networks, but will be offered as a legally acceptable alternative.

“One of the most effective weapons for defeating online piracy is providing legal, easy-to-use alternatives,” said WB Home Entertainment president, Kevin Tsujihara.

If all goes according to plan, this should take a bite out of the huge market for pirated video content in Germany, where 1.7 million people illegally downloaded 11.9 million movies in the first half of last year.

In England, the BBC is planning a similar service, called iMP, which will enable viewers to legally download BBC television programs up to seven days after they air.