Huge controversy in France: Retspan, a French anti-piracy organization, has launched a new service called PeerFactor. The idea: pay P2P users to distribute fakes that redirect downloaders to legal web sites.
This service has 2 effects. First, it creates a new kind of spoofing method based on Web users. Second, it brings P2P users to legal download platforms. Members are paid according to the number of redirections or purchases that are made thanks to the fakes they distribute.
Launched nearly in secret 1 month ago, this project has drawn a lot of attention. During the last week, France Info (news radio #1), TF1 (biggest French TV channel), many newspapers and dozens of web sites have relayed the story.
Some agree with this kind of anti-piracy action. Others criticize this project that is already dividing P2P community. And in the meantime, hundreds of Web users rush on PeerFactor’s Web site in order to pre-register.
Pre-registration is now available for US / English users at http://www.peerfactor.biz
Retspan administrators were actually not expecting such buzz around PeerFactor. And they now have to face majors and editors who are interested in the concept. The main question for observers is now to guess how profitable this service can be.
More information on :
http://www.peerfactor.biz
http://www.retspan.biz
http://news.tf1.fr/news/multimedia/0,,2198547,00.html
http://archquo.nouvelobs.com/cgi/articles?ad=multimedia/20040422.ZDN9150206.html
http://www.radiofrance.fr/chaines/france-info/chroniques/hightech/index.php?m=3&chro_diff_id=35000444
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