more on Opera integrates BitTorrent in upcoming browser

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: [IP] Opera integrates BitTorrent in upcoming browser
Date:   Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:33:31 -0500
From:   hugh crawford <hugh-list () thoughtballoon com>
To:     dave () farber net
References:     <43E75D5D.4080408 () farber net>



Dave,
A few  things need clarification here.

Opera has included BitTorrent since version 8.02 in July 2005
http://operawatch.blogspot.com/2005/07/opera-adds-support-for-bit-torrent.html
, so this is not exactly news, I think the news part of this is that
Opera is about to release version 9.0

Users can easily throttle the amount of bandwidth that BitTorrent uses
with nice convenient sliders on its UI, ( at least looking at my
desktop ) and in any case BitTorrent is pretty polite about not
hogging all the bandwidth. At least for me it's effect on other
internet apps is pretty much invisible. I just got a 3 GB Ubuntu iso,
and and never noticed any side effects at all

As for knowledge or consent, if they don't use it it doesn't run, if
they do use it, there is just as much knowledge or consent as with any
other internet protocol. Arguably BitTorrent is much better than the
legal rights a user consents to give up to watch a Windows Media
Player or Quicktime stream.

As for
        "Also, because BitTorrent is one of the preferred
protocols for downloading of pirated movies and similar fare, the
software will also doubtless turn many Opera users' computers into
illicit sources of copyrighted material and subject the users to
lawsuits from movie studios and sanctions from their ISPs"
That's as much a cliche as pointing out that you can use a car to make
your getaway from a bank robbery, or use the telephone to make drug
deals or threaten to kill the president. The only way Opera users'
computers can become "illicit sources of copyrighted material" is if
the user explicitly asks for that material.

As BitTorrent becomes more mainstream, the illegitimate uses will
comprise a lesser part of it's use.

Hugh Crawford



On 2/6/06, Dave Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject:        Opera integrates BitTorrent in upcoming browser
> Date:   Mon, 06 Feb 2006 04:07:38 -0700
> From:   Brett Glass <brett () lariat org>
> To:     dave () farber net, Ip ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
>
>
>
> Dave:
>
> The following is a press release from Opera Software. According to
> the release, the company is integrating BitTorrent into its
> browser. Unfortunately, this could cause adverse effects; Opera
> users may experience slow Internet performance because the
> BitTorrent software will saturate their Internet bandwidth
> allocations without their knowledge or consent. (The BitTorrent
> protocol is, as you may know, designed to try to use every scrap of
> available bandwidth not only to receive content but also to
> redistribute it.) Also, because BitTorrent is one of the preferred
> protocols for downloading of pirated movies and similar fare, the
> software will also doubtless turn many Opera users' computers into
> illicit sources of copyrighted material and subject the users to
> lawsuits from movie studios and sanctions from their ISPs. It will
> be interesting to see how this pans out, but I fear that the move
> will backfire very badly for Opera.
>
> --Brett Glass
>
> -------------------
>
>
> Opera integrates BitTorrent in upcoming browser
>
> Oslo, Norway ­ February 6, 2006 ­ Opera Software today announced
> that it has teamed with BitTorrent Inc. to include the
> BitTorrent(tm) protocol in the upcoming version of the Opera Web
> browser. Integrating this popular technology in the Opera browser
> means faster and more efficient downloads of large files.
>
> Opera and BitTorrent have signed an agreement covering Opera's use
> of the BitTorrent trademark and access to the BitTorrent search
> engine from the browser's user interface. A technical preview (TP)
> of the Opera 9 browser will be made available soon.
>
> BitTorrent's technology will be made available to users of the
> Opera browser in two ways: first, users can search for torrent
> files in the Opera browser's integrated search field, and second,
> when a file has been selected, Opera's Transfer Manager feature
> will handle the download.  As a result of integrating BitTorrent
> into the Opera browser, users no longer need separate software for
> the searching and downloading of torrent content.
>
> Opera Software was the first mass-market browser vendor to
> implement BitTorrent technology. On July 7, 2005, the company
> launched the first technical preview of the Opera browser (Opera
> 8.02) which included the BitTorrent protocol. As a result of
> positive user feedback and further testing, Opera has now decided
> to maintain BitTorrent in the upcoming Opera 9 Web browser.
>
> "Implementing BitTorrent is a natural choice, considering its
> efficient use of bandwidth and worldwide popularity. For users this
> means that they can browse and download content in an application
> they're familiar with," says Christen Krogh, VP of Engineering, OperaSoftware.
>
> Opera already supports other file transfer protocols such as FTP
> and HTTP. BitTorrent is the logical next step in the company's
> strategy to increase productivity and improve the overall Internet
> experience for end users.
>
> "By integrating the BitTorrent protocol, licensing the company's
> globally recognized trademark and collaborating with BitTorrent
> creator Bram Cohen, Opera is demonstrating leadership among Web
> browsers and consideration for the open source software ecosystem,"
> says Ashwin Navin, President, BitTorrent. "With BitTorrent Search,
> Opera will be offering its users a seamless experience for
> discovering and downloading large files from the thousands of
> BitTorrent publishers around the world."
>
> BitTorrent is an open source, peer-to-peer protocol for
> distributing files. It makes use of the upstream bandwidth of every
> downloader to increase the speed and effectiveness of the
> distribution as a whole. On average, the faster you upload to your
> peers, the faster you will be able to download. Because BitTorrent
> greatly reduces the load on a single server, the technology also
> benefits organizations with intense download traffic, such as
> Opera. BitTorrent's agreement with Opera is the first under a
> soon-to-be announced conformance program for the use of the
> BitTorrent trademark.
>
> Availability
> The Opera 9 TP2 will be made available soon. Opera emphasizes that
> the TP should be used for preview purposes only.
>
> About Opera Software ASA
>
> Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web
> browser technology, targeting the desktop, mobile, PDA, home media
> and vertical markets. Partners include companies such as IBM,
> Nokia, Sony, Motorola, Adobe, Macromedia, Symbian, Sony Ericsson,
> Kyocera, Sharp, Motorola Metroworks, MontaVista Software, BenQ,
> Sendo and AMD. The Opera browser has received international
> recognition from users, industry experts and media for being
> faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers.
>
> Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, and
> currently available on the following operating systems: Windows,
> Windows Mobile, Linux, Mac OS, Symbian OS, BREW, QNX, TRON,
> FreeBSD, Solaris and Mediahighway. The Opera browser is also
> available as a Java-based (J2ME) browser solution called Opera
> Mini? for the world's 700 million Java-enabled mobile phones.
>
> Opera Software ASA is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with
> development centers in Linkoping and Gothenburg, Sweden. The
> company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker
> symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.
>
> About BitTorrent Inc.
> BitTorrent is home to the world's leading open-source file-sharing
> protocol by the same name, specifically created to overcome the
> obstacles of transferring large files over the Internet. Created in
> 2001, BitTorrent is enabling millions of users worldwide to
> publish, search and download popular digital content quickly,
> easily and securely. BitTorrent is a privately held company
> headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information,
> visit www.bittorrent.com.
>
> BitTorrent is a trademark of BitTorrent Inc.
>
>
> Press Contacts:
>
> Tor Odland
> Opera Software
> Communications Director
> Tel: +47 24 16 42 42
> Email: toro () opera com
>
> Lily Lin
> BitTorrent Inc.
> Director of Communications
> Tel: +1 415 568 9007
> Email: lily () bittorrent com
>
>
>
>
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