Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

KaZaA Collapses

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it dept.

MikeKD writes "according to SFGate, KaZaA has announced that it will fold due to the cost of defending itself against the RIAA & MPAA. The timing is notable since on Monday, Altnet (owned by Brillant Digital) announced plans for "sponsored listings in peer-to-peer search" on its "separate [and] secure P2P resource-sharing network"."

2 of 359 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting strategy by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm actually quite taken with Kazaa's strategy. It seems like they're just going to keep "selling" the name and technology to own of their own subsidiaries or spin-offs, then fold whatever part of the company is currently being sued.

    Of course, it's a scam, and the [MP|RI]AA can just pursue the new owner... who can just sell on the name and technology, and fold. They'll have to actually go after the owners personally, which is a completely different proposition.

    I'm not exactly enamoured with Kazaa (gnutella for me, thanks), but I think they've hit on the only possible defence to the "litagate them into submission" tactics that the [MP|RI]AA are increasingly turning to. However, it's yet another indicator that if you want to start an innovative business, don't do it inthe USA, or in anywhere with strong treaties with the USA. That part is very sad.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  2. Re:Try to catch me ... by tftp · · Score: 5, Interesting
    kazaa users connect to one server to retrieve a list of alternate nodes to connect to

    1. An IP address hardly can be a "circumvention device". More likely, it is speech. The server that the IP points to may even not have anything offending on it. It is more like a general purpose communication network, like a telephone.
    2. Even if those IPs are "evil" now, they could be easily obtained through other means, such as an IRC channel where clients would automatically advertise themselves (or Jabber, or AIM...)
    3. Once you cache 1000 IP addresses, you don't need to go to the main server any more - chances are very good that one of those 1000 boxes is online, and once you connect it will give you the latest and greatest IP list.
    4. Though Freenet itself may be too slow for P2P, real time traffic, it will be perfect as a secure and unbannable distribution medium for IP addresses. The Freenet protocol already has all the necessary types of keys.