Like to share content? So stay tuned.
A NBC Universal, of the United States of America, obtained the approval of a patent to prevent the spread of piracy via torrent on the Internet. The technology would be able to identify users who were sharing a certain content and get data on them to send to responsible authorities. More than that, with the one proposed in the patent, it would be possible to block downloads on any P2P network.
“While P2P infrastructure in general is something that can be positive, it has also led to abuse. Piracy via peer-to-peer networks implies losses in the order of billions of dollars, being estimates by content producers ”
This would be the beginning of the end for famous sharing programs (and networks), such as BitTorrent, Vuze and uTorrent, as users might feel coerced if someone reported sharing illegal movies, series and songs.
Do internet providers support this decision?
Internet service providers could take advantage of this patent to identify users who share illegal content and block access. In Angola, operators like TVCabo have unlimited plans, sometimes used “abusively” by customers. Another solution would be to provide plans with consumption limits, as with ZAP Fibra, which would inhibit some users.
But if you think this is news, know that this patent was registered eight years ago, but only now has gained prominence. But we must remember that P2P networks can be used to share legal content, so operators must be careful before taking action, as users could sue if they were unfairly blocked.
The big producers “attack” once again to ensure that users obtain the content only through legal means. But there is always an alternative way to "fake" the systems. It's a matter of time…
See here the total details of this patent.
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