New feature allows for adding of torrents to profile
By Edward Duncan at AVN Business
03/30/2009
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The Pirate Bay wants to plunder Facebook with file-sharing. The BitTorrent tracker site has launched a new feature that allows Facebook users to add torrent listings to their profiles.
The move has already drawn the ire of Europe's International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Facebook was not available for comment.
According to TorrentFreak, the new torrent-adding program, "Share on Facebook" takes just one click to place a favorite torrent on one's profile page. A viewer can than click on the torrent listing and if a torrent client is already in place, downloading begins automatically without visiting the Pirate Bay site.
The verdict in the recent Pirate Bay trial, accusing the site of perpetuating illegal file-sharing, is yet to be delivered. Meanwhile, the new add-to-Facebook feature follows recent news that the site is also offering a privacy service called IPRED, designed to foil the tracking of ISP addresses, keeping them anonymous.
Pirate Bay co-owner Peter Sunde said he hasn't seen complaints over the new site feature, but also added such complaints are quickly deleted.
However IFPI has complained elsewhere, telling Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten if the new feature is used to offer copyrighted torrent links, then it's a violation and illegal in Switzerland, citing a similar case over the site ShareReactor. There's little doubt rights holders will have the same reaction in most other nations.
While it could be argued that Facebook users may list perfectly legal torrents to personal content they wish to share, the concern is the floodgates will open wider for rampant sharing of pirated content.
TorrentFreak reports that two weeks ago the Brazilian recording industry pressure brought the closure of Google social network page Orkut, boasting nearly a million members. But a new group quickly took its place.
Pirate Bay's Sunde added that his site did not ask Facebook for permission to offer the new feature.
"They monitor their portal every day - they should have noticed it long ago," he said.
Searches on The Pirate Bay bring up adult content featuring Jenna Jameson and Tera Patrick, among others.
Read the original article at AVN Business
