-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Opera integrates BitTorrent in upcoming browser
Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 04:07:38 -0700
From: Brett Glass <brett@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx, Ip ip <ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Dave:
The following is a press release from Opera Software. According to
the release, the company is integrating BitTorrent into its
browser. Unfortunately, this could cause adverse effects; Opera
users may experience slow Internet performance because the
BitTorrent software will saturate their Internet bandwidth
allocations without their knowledge or consent. (The BitTorrent
protocol is, as you may know, designed to try to use every scrap of
available bandwidth not only to receive content but also to
redistribute it.) Also, because BitTorrent is one of the preferred
protocols for downloading of pirated movies and similar fare, the
software will also doubtless turn many Opera users' computers into
illicit sources of copyrighted material and subject the users to
lawsuits from movie studios and sanctions from their ISPs. It will
be interesting to see how this pans out, but I fear that the move
will backfire very badly for Opera.
--Brett Glass
-------------------
Opera integrates BitTorrent in upcoming browser
Oslo, Norway February 6, 2006 Opera Software today announced
that it has teamed with BitTorrent Inc. to include the
BitTorrent(tm) protocol in the upcoming version of the Opera Web
browser. Integrating this popular technology in the Opera browser
means faster and more efficient downloads of large files.
Opera and BitTorrent have signed an agreement covering Opera's use
of the BitTorrent trademark and access to the BitTorrent search
engine from the browser's user interface. A technical preview (TP)
of the Opera 9 browser will be made available soon.
BitTorrent's technology will be made available to users of the
Opera browser in two ways: first, users can search for torrent
files in the Opera browser's integrated search field, and second,
when a file has been selected, Opera's Transfer Manager feature
will handle the download. As a result of integrating BitTorrent
into the Opera browser, users no longer need separate software for
the searching and downloading of torrent content.
Opera Software was the first mass-market browser vendor to
implement BitTorrent technology. On July 7, 2005, the company
launched the first technical preview of the Opera browser (Opera
8.02) which included the BitTorrent protocol. As a result of
positive user feedback and further testing, Opera has now decided
to maintain BitTorrent in the upcoming Opera 9 Web browser.
"Implementing BitTorrent is a natural choice, considering its
efficient use of bandwidth and worldwide popularity. For users this
means that they can browse and download content in an application
they're familiar with," says Christen Krogh, VP of Engineering, OperaSoftware.
Opera already supports other file transfer protocols such as FTP
and HTTP. BitTorrent is the logical next step in the company's
strategy to increase productivity and improve the overall Internet
experience for end users.
"By integrating the BitTorrent protocol, licensing the company's
globally recognized trademark and collaborating with BitTorrent
creator Bram Cohen, Opera is demonstrating leadership among Web
browsers and consideration for the open source software ecosystem,"
says Ashwin Navin, President, BitTorrent. "With BitTorrent Search,
Opera will be offering its users a seamless experience for
discovering and downloading large files from the thousands of
BitTorrent publishers around the world."
BitTorrent is an open source, peer-to-peer protocol for
distributing files. It makes use of the upstream bandwidth of every
downloader to increase the speed and effectiveness of the
distribution as a whole. On average, the faster you upload to your
peers, the faster you will be able to download. Because BitTorrent
greatly reduces the load on a single server, the technology also
benefits organizations with intense download traffic, such as
Opera. BitTorrent's agreement with Opera is the first under a
soon-to-be announced conformance program for the use of the
BitTorrent trademark.
Availability
The Opera 9 TP2 will be made available soon. Opera emphasizes that
the TP should be used for preview purposes only.
About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web
browser technology, targeting the desktop, mobile, PDA, home media
and vertical markets. Partners include companies such as IBM,
Nokia, Sony, Motorola, Adobe, Macromedia, Symbian, Sony Ericsson,
Kyocera, Sharp, Motorola Metroworks, MontaVista Software, BenQ,
Sendo and AMD. The Opera browser has received international
recognition from users, industry experts and media for being
faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers.
Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, and
currently available on the following operating systems: Windows,
Windows Mobile, Linux, Mac OS, Symbian OS, BREW, QNX, TRON,
FreeBSD, Solaris and Mediahighway. The Opera browser is also
available as a Java-based (J2ME) browser solution called Opera
Mini? for the world's 700 million Java-enabled mobile phones.
Opera Software ASA is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with
development centers in Linkoping and Gothenburg, Sweden. The
company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker
symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.
About BitTorrent Inc.
BitTorrent is home to the world's leading open-source file-sharing
protocol by the same name, specifically created to overcome the
obstacles of transferring large files over the Internet. Created in
2001, BitTorrent is enabling millions of users worldwide to
publish, search and download popular digital content quickly,
easily and securely. BitTorrent is a privately held company
headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information,
visit www.bittorrent.com.
BitTorrent is a trademark of BitTorrent Inc.
Press Contacts:
Tor Odland
Opera Software
Communications Director
Tel: +47 24 16 42 42
Email: toro@xxxxxxxxx
Lily Lin
BitTorrent Inc.
Director of Communications
Tel: +1 415 568 9007
Email: lily@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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