BitTorrent goes legit with new ‘gated’ file format (bitcoin potential?)

[WorrenBuffert]

http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/7/4305536/bittorrent-bundle-debut-kaskade-paid-gateway-registration

Wouldn't bitcoin be the perfect payment option if bittorrent implemented this new idea? Seems like it to me.

One of you bitcoin overlords get in contact with them and tell them to use Bitcoin as payment option.

[Este Nuno]

How is this different than DRM? Seems like they just put a new name on DRM.

[greyhawk]

How is this different than DRM? Seems like they just put a new name on DRM.

It IS DRM.

Also Bitcoin would be about the worst possible payment option for this. Imagine Marvel Studios releasing Iron Man 3 via this method. Have a package with the trailer, the movie, and extras. The trailer is open for free, you can send an amount of BTC to access the movie, the extras or both. Sounds great? It is. Until someone copies the package's exterior, fills it with the 3 hour version of Nyan Cat entitled Iron Man 3 and floods the net with his version. Congrats. You just bought a three hour version of Nyan Cat. In a currency without charge-backs.

[BaronMcG]

what i dont get is that if you paid to download the file, why should you then share it after its downloaded ? which i know totally side steps the question as to whether bitcoin would be good as a payment method

[greyhawk]

what i dont get is that if you paid to download the file, why should you then share it after its downloaded ? which i know totally side steps the question as to whether bitcoin would be good as a payment method

You could have for instance varied pricing based on ratio.

Let's assume again Marvel Studios goes with that model and you bought Iron Man 3 and shared that a bunch of times you might get a rebate when Avengers 2 comes out. On the other hand you might decide to get Iron Man 3 and stopped sharing right after you got the movie and thus sunk your ratio into horribleness, then you might have to pay a bit extra for Avengers 2.

[Meatpile]

Yeah because after all the lawsuits from the media companies torrenters are super willing to start being tracked and completely deanonimized

[greyhawk]

Yeah because after all the lawsuits from the media companies torrenters are super willing to start being tracked and completely deanonimized

iTunes seems to be doing well.

[ArticMine]

There is nothing really new here.  Take a file that requires an activation code, key or other action to unlock the content, software etc., and distrubute the locked file via BitTorrent.  A lot of "crippleware" software has used this method for years. It is in reality a DRMed file distributed via BitTorrent nothing more.

PS: Can Bitcoin be used as a payment method to unlock crippleware? Absolutly.

[takagari]

so you want me to host and share a file you cellect money on?
Sounds like a way to get out of paying for servers

[CasinoBit]

You have been great and we will miss you BitTorrent but uTorrent has come to take your place!

[Bitcoinm]

so you want me to host and share a file you cellect money on?
Sounds like a way to get out of paying for servers

If the file was lower cost because of this I could see the benefit.