BitTorrent, Inc. Acquires µTorrent

[cjules13]

Wow, check this out...


Now it appears BitTorrent, Inc. has taken the next step - the acquisition of µTorrent (microTorrent.) In an joint announcement (http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=17278) made today, the two firms have publicly solidified the merger.

"Together, we are pleased to announce that BitTorrent, Inc. and µTorrent AB have decided to join forces," a forum post on uTorrent states. "BitTorrent has acquired µTorrent as it recognized the merits of µTorrent's exceptionally well-written codebase and robust user community. Bringing together µTorrent's efficient implementation and compelling UI with BitTorrent's expertise in networking protocols will significantly benefit the community with what we envision will be the best BitTorrent client."

Rest of story:
http://www.slyck.com/story1357.html

I wonder what this means for the future of uTorrent?

[Jared Moya]

It seems like everybody's trying to legit these days and apparently uTorrent (http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/../programs/?scatid=84) is no exception.
A few days ago Azureus 3.0 BETA (http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/../news/8078/Azureus+3.0+BETA+Guide+and+Tutorial) was released to mixed reviews over it's new Zudeo service. Zudeo is seemingly an attempt by Azureus to begin offering paid content for download via the clint server.

In fact, Azureus is seemingly a sub-sect of Zudeo, with one having to choose an "advanced" tab merely to see the torrent trackers that are active . Since when did checking on a client server's downloads become an "advanced" function I ask?

Needless to say, I'm keeping a backup copy of version 2.5 just in case.

Now the latest development of file-sharing programs going legit comes on the heels of BitTorrent Inc (http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/../programs/?scatid=84).'s announced partnership with Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Palm Pictures and Kadokawa Pictures USA.

It was recently announced in the uTorrent forums by none other than Bram Cohen, creator of the BitTorrent (http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/../programs/?scatid=84) protocol himself, that it has been purchased by BitTorrent Inc.. Now what this potentially means is that either it's looking to improve the service of BitTorrent Inc., though I couldn't fathom how, or that it is possibly removing competitors from the field.

http://digg.com/tech_news/mTorrent_sells_out_gets_bought_by_BitTorrent_Inc

[DigitalJunkie]

I guess we will have to see what next version of uTorrent wiil be, bundled with DRM?

[the great one]

Yep,I know where this is headed.I'm sure this won't be the last acquisition.

[hoyasaxa]

I'm guessing this is going to be a lot like when Napster went legit? (Which I barely remember to be honest.) Do you think that this will make it easier to catch people downloading? (As in if you are not paying for what you're getting, will they know? Could they? I guess it might be possible.) Will people download less?

[DigitalJunkie]

Napster uses centralized servers, this is not the case. I think it would bundle DRM to create torrents with trackers that points to only their DRMed files. Maybe a limited search function, so when you search torrents you'll find mostly their DRMed torrents. Using uTorrent client with small footprint is easier for them to integrate some of those functions, otherwise I can't think of any other major benefits they would want to purchase uTorrent! The large user base uTorrent currently have, would just move to other torrent clients once they put some of those limited functions in place.

[hoyasaxa]

Napster uses centralized servers, this is not the case. I think it would bundle DRM to create torrents with trackers that points to only their DRMed files. Maybe a limited search function, so when you search torrents you'll find mostly their DRMed torrents. Using uTorrent client with small footprint is easier for them to integrate some of those functions, otherwise I can't think of any other major benefits they would want to purchase uTorrent! The large user base uTorrent currently have, would just move to other torrent clients once they put some of those limited functions in place.

So you think they won't allow you to pass copyrighted or illegal material through their servers at all? I wonder if they'd leave it and just use it to catch people still using the program and sharing movies, etc - that's what I'd be afraid of, if I were using it, and it's waht I'd do if I were running it.

[DigitalJunkie]

I don't think they will want to be in the police business for **AAs at all, since there are other companies doing it full-time already! But, they will probably be demanded by **AAs to filter out copyrighted materials unless they are DRMed from their servers. As I said, we'll have to wait & see!

[cjules13]

Yeah, I'm suspecting filters or even some sort of function that might "phone home" about what people are downloading.

It's just smells funny, too bad too because uTorrent was a great app... Guess I'll keep on with Azureus, but their new 3.0 version smells kinda funny too.

I predict a new open-source small footprint client will be developed soon and that be become the de-facto client for shady mofos like us :D

[Sparky9]

Something like a decentralized eXeem would be nice

[hoyasaxa]

Yeah, I'm suspecting filters or even some sort of function that might "phone home" about what people are downloading.

It's just smells funny, too bad too because uTorrent was a great app... Guess I'll keep on with Azureus, but their new 3.0 version smells kinda funny too.

I'd agree with that, if only because it makes sense that if uTorrent is going to be a legal profit-based system, they aren't going to want people using their program for illegal activity, they're going to want to you to pay per download or something like that, so I am almost positive that at the very least there will be some kind of backdoor monitoring of some type set up to bust the people that aren't paying.

I don't know how, technically, that'd work? But, I'm sure there's no way that they couldn't know who was using their system and what was going across it?