LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A plan to turn free online file-sharing services into a major source of revenue for the record industry has been proposed by a group representing Kazaa.
The proposal comes from the Distributed Computing Industry Association, which represents Kazaa -- the most popular Internet trading service -- and its parent companies, Sharman Networks and Altnet.
New Scientist says DCIA suggests music files traded through such networks could be encrypted so only users who pay a fee will be supplied with the software needed to unlock them.
Peer-to-peer file-sharing networks let users scour each other's hard drives for music or other files, providing highly efficient distribution networks. But the record industry says they also have led to an explosion in online music piracy.
However, the Recording Industry Association of American is not welcoming the new proposal. RIAA spokesman Jonathan Lamy told The Washington Post "It is hard to take seriously proposals to turn (peer-to-peer) systems into legitimate businesses when they continue to induce users to violate the law and willfully refuse to use available technologies to stop the rampant infringement."
The DCIA claims its plan could generate about $900 million a year for the music industry.
Charles Mims
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