What Are The Copyright Infringement Policy

BitTorrent Inc., the first and one of the largest BitTorrent software clients available today, was founded by Bram Cohen, who also wrote the original BitTorrent protocol. When BitTorrent began to receive millions of new users due to its ease of use and efficiency in downloading large files, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America began to take notice. This was due to the fact that BitTorrent was becoming the prime method of downloading copyrighted material illegally and without charge. Years later, BitTorrent Inc., in an effort to avoid costly and devastating lawsuits from the MPAA and RIAA, struck a deal with the MPAA and reworked its copyright infringement policy.

BitTorrent Inc.'s Website

BitTorrent Inc. describes their software as the "global standard" for providing users with high-quality files over the internet, having over 160 million total users torrents worldwide. It claims that the more users a file has, the more quickly and cheaply it can be transferred over the internet. Due to the nature of the software, however, and the fact that illegal activity isn't prevented but rather discouraged, it presents a difficult situation for the company.

On BitTorrent Inc.'s website, the BitTorrent client software program is available to download with one click and is free of charge. The program allows users to search for media to download through torrent metafiles. The way in which downloaders of the program use the software is up to their discretion, though the copyright infringement policy section on the website describes how the software can be used in compliance with U.S. copyright law. The copyright infringement policy on BitTorrent.com describes ways in which users can report copyright-infringing websites that show up in BitTorrent.com search engines.

The BitTorrent Inc. Copyright Infringement Policy Intro

The copyright infringement policy starts by claiming BitTorrent's stance against violators of copyright law. In compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a law that made it illegal to go around digital rights management of copyrighted computer files, BitTorrent claims to respond vigorously to alleged copyright infringement instances that are reported in to its servers. Copyright infringements reports are handled by BitTorrent's Designated Copyright Agent, which allows owners of copyrighted works to report websites that present their material illegally.

DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement

When a copyright owner would like to report illegal use of his or her copyrighted work, the BitTorrent website provides an easy process for doing so. First, the infringed work is identified along with any other works that may also be violated. Next, a description of the website and where it can be found should be provided. This includes the torrent file location itself or websites that point to the torrent file. If the file was found on a BitTorrent search engine, the search terms and URLs should be provided.

In addition, the copyright owner should provide a mailing address, a telephone number, and an e-mail address. The copyright owner should then describe the copyrighted violation and pledge that he or she, in good faith, believes that the claim is accurate. The whole claim should then be compiled together and sent to BitTorrent's headquarters. Following a copyright infringement claim, all traces of the copyrighted material and links to such are removed as soon as possible.

In addition, if a copyright owner believes that a user of the website repeatedly posts copyright infringed material of an owner, he or she may report such a user to have him or her banned from BitTorrent use. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, some information on such users may be released without notice to the person.

This policy is a firm statement that shows that BitTorrent Inc. takes copyright infringement very seriously and understands that U.S. intellectual property law is important to those who create original work.

BitTorrent Content

All BitTorrent search engines allow only works that are free of all copyright ownership or work that is under a loose Creative Commons license. A Creative Commons license allows owners of copyrighted material to select a level of protection. Most protections under this license allows for users of the copyrighted work to trade and copy as much as they desire, as long as they do not sell the work or otherwise materially benefit from it.

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