p2pnet - rss feed: DCIA in Comcast ‘P2P Bill of Rights’
p2pnet news | P2P:- Is Sharman Networks, the Australian owner of the Kazaa P2P file sharing application which, at the cost of $115 million, crossed the tracks from being an alleged supporter of P2P to an entertainment cartel adherent, still behind the DCIA?
It’s an interesting question with interesting ramifications, but it’ll probably never be adequately or, rather, properly answered.
However, the DCIA (Distributed Computing Industry Association) would definitely like to be front and centre in the the latest Comcast ploy.
Comcast Corporation and Pando Networks plan to “lead the industry” to create a ‘P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities’ for users and ISPs,” networking and protocol expert Robb Topolski told p2pnet yesterday, going on:
“With an FCC hearing on Comcast’s anti-peer-to-peer practices scheduled for later this week, this is hardly a surprise. Once again, Comcast makes another sweetheart-sounding deal, but at the wrong time, and with the wrong sweetheart.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the DCIA’s Martin Lafferty (right) says it’s important, “to get content companies more involved in the discussions over making P2P networks play nice with ISPs”.
Making P2P networks play nice with ISPs? What does that mean?
“They would like to see all these efficiency enhancements applied to licensed content distribution,” the story has Lafferty saying.
For “efficiency enhancements,” could one read ‘filters’ and ‘traffic shaping’?
“It’s always going to be the devil in the details,” Lafferty says, and, if content owners argue ISPs and P2P networks, “have a responsibility to guard against online piracy,” the responsibility of content owners, “would be to license their content on non-discriminatory terms and conditions” to P2P systems, he goes on.
“In other words, rather than just trying to shut down P2P distribution channels, the DCIA wants Hollywood to support authorized, licensed ways to distribute works through such systems,” says the LA Times—-
—- just so long as ISPs and P2P the networks agree to play nice by acting as corporate copyright cops, turning in their own customers so the entertainment cartels can sue them.
‘Particularly knotty issue’
Meanwhile, “Comcast and Pando plan to convene a group of ‘industry experts’ to discern what options and controls consumers should have when using P2P apps,” says paidContent.
This seems a lot like the claims of the Big 4 record labels, Vivendi Universal, EMI and Warner Music that, when people spend money on CDs or DVDs, they’re not actually buying them, they’re only licensing them and they remain under corporate control with users and liable for lawsuits if they infringe any or all Big 4 stipulations.
On Comcast’s P2P Bill Of Rights, “Secondly, the two want to address what processes and practices ISPs should use to manage file-sharing running on their networks,” says paidContent.
“One particularly knotty issue the pair hopes to solve is whether, ‘P2P users should have the right to control their computers’ resources when using P2P applications’.”
Oh, really?
Here’s the full Comcast puff piece >>>
April 15 /PRNewswire/ — Comcast Corporation and Pando Networks, Inc. announced today they will lead an industry-wide effort to create a “P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” (BRR) for peer-to-peer (P2P) users and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The two companies plan to collaborate and engage with industry experts, other ISPs and P2P companies, content providers and others to set a framework for the BRR that can serve as a best practice. The purpose would be to clarify what choices and controls consumers should have when using P2P applications as well as what processes and practices ISPs should use to manage P2P applications running on their networks. For example, P2P users should have the right to control their computers’ resources when using P2P applications.
In addition, Comcast and Pando plan to conduct a test of Pando Network Aware(TM) P2P technology on Comcast’s fiber-optic network. The purpose of the test will be to capture and analyze the data flow associated with downloading a file using Pando’s P2P application. These tests, along with tests Pando will conduct on a variety of other ISP networks, including cable, DSL, fiber and wireless, will measure things like performance, speed, distance and geography as well as the bandwidth consumption impact to the ISP. Comcast, Pando and the P4P Working Group plan to publish the results of these tests so other ISPs can benefit from understanding how P2P applications might be optimized for traveling over different types of networks in different environments and geographies.
Today’s announcement builds on Comcast’s March 27th announcement to collaborate with BitTorrent and the broader Internet and ISP community to more effectively address issues associated with rich media content and network capacity management. It also builds on Pando’s recent announcements of its P4P test results which demonstrated Pando’s ability to reduce network congestion and speed content delivery by routing P2P traffic more effectively across cable, DSL, and fiber broadband networks.
The Pando test will provide additional data to help Comcast migrate to a protocol-agnostic network management technique by the end of this year. The arrangement is yet another example of how these technical issues can be worked out through private business discussions and without the need for government intervention.
“Working together, Comcast and Pando can help lead the discussion about what consumers should expect in terms of a ‘P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities’ for P2P users and ISPs,” said Tony Werner, Comcast Cable’s Chief Technology Officer. “Doing so is in the best interest of everyone involved — ISPs, P2P companies and consumers. We hope to get other industry experts, ISPs and P2P companies together this spring and publish the ‘P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities’ later this year. By having this framework in place, we will help P2P companies, ISPs and content owners find common ground to support consumers who want to use P2P applications to deliver legal content.”
“At Pando, we have always believed that good P2P applications give users control. Now we are committing to lead the industry in codifying that,” said Robert Levitan, CEO of Pando Networks. “In addition, we need more data and analysis of how P2P applications deliver content over a variety of different networks. By sharing the test methodology and results, all P2P companies and ISPs can learn how to more efficiently deliver legal content. This will ultimately benefit consumers who are relying on P2P programs as well as content providers who are interested in delivering their content to consumers where and how they want it.”
Stay tuned.
$115 million - Zennstrom helps Kazaa, August 10, 2006
still behind the DCIA - Sharman woos Hollywood, June 19, 2004
p2pnet - Comcast P2P ‘Bill of Rights’ No! Really!, April 15, 2008
Los Angeles Times - Comcast loves file sharing, honest!, April 15, 2008
paidContent - Comcast Adds On File- Sharing Tests And ‘P2P Bill Of Rights’, April 15, 2008
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April 17th, 2008 at 2:21 am
All the P2P authors really need to get started on adding robust encryption to their programs.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:57 am
( already in the works )