* Sharman Networks, Altnet establish the Distributed Computing Industry Association
Operators of P2P networks should have created their own trade organization some time ago to help coordinate their fight against the entertainment industry. But Kazaa has finally risen to the challenge and launched a trade group called the Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA).
Sharman Networks, owner of the Kazaa network, and its partner Altnet, say they hope to create a forum where P2P networks under attack from politicians and the entertainment industry can collectively speak out and strategize. According to DCIA CEO Martin Lafferty, the group is also planning to establish business practices and standards that could play a role in future public policies.
It’s interesting that Lafferty is comparing the P2P networks to the early satellite TV markets that were also once accused of being a conduit for piracy. When satellite TV technology first came out, customers bought dishes to pull down signals for free, but the industry eventually hammered out a deal that was acceptable to all.
The DCIA has issued a white paper on P2P policy saying that it believes that copyright owners should be compensated for their work. It says it hopes to bring together not only P2P network providers, but software developers, ISP and so-called content developers including the film and recording industry.
If it fairly represents file traders, the DCIA could be a very useful forum to help end the legal war between P2P operators and the entertainment industry. It would also help the P2P community speak out with one voice against an announced plan by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to launch thousands of copyright infringement lawsuits against individual users of P2P networks.
The DCIA needs to offer an alternative to the litigation that is choking the P2P community and criminalizing tens of millions of file traders. It is a war the entertainment industry cannot win.
And the more opportunities for discussion between the two sides, the better. The RIAA says it is willing to start a dialog with the DCIA. Let’s hope it leads to something useful.
