Legislators Looking At Peer to Peer Monitor

rocketjam writes "According to CNET News, a California based software company has developed a song-identification technology which could be incorporated into file sharing software. It would then monitor music being downloaded or made available in a shared folder, identify songs by a process which examines their 'psycho-acoustical' properties and then compare them to a copyright database and stop them from being traded if a match is found. Audible Magic, has been demoing its technology before legislators and regulators in Washington D.C for the past month. The RIAA is greatly enamored of the concept and has helped the company get access to government officials. However, the technology would obviously require the makers of file swapping software to add it into their products either voluntarily or through legislation."

Comments

Oh, they'll add it alright...

[stienman]

Of course they'll add it, voluntarily even. Just think - you request a download of a particular band's song, and the software verifies that you're getting the illegal file you want instead of some cranky artist going, "What the &#*@ do you think you're doing?" and some silence.

-Adam

Re:Oh, they'll add it alright...

[PsiPsiStar]

I just do it manually... er, I mean visually.

Re:This, or vigilantism

[pyrrhonist]

As is said in 'The mythical man month' (I think) "Never under-estimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of back-up tapes.

Nope. Andrew S. Tannenbaum, Computer Networks, Section 2.2.1., "Magnetic Media"

The exact quote:

...it is likely that no other transmission technology can even begin to approach magnetic tape for performance or cost effectiveness.

The moral of the story is: Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway.

I only know that, because the book was sitting right next to me. Still...

"Slashdot: Exact quotes provided by anal dickheads while you wait."