I think that at this point the bit torrent technology has become so ubiquitous that some people might not even know that there is an actual Bit Torrent Inc. But there is, and they have announced that they are partnering with a bunch of TV and movie companies to distribute content through their website using torrent technology. Among those in the announcement are 20th Century Fox, G4, Paramount Pictures, Kadokowa Pictures USA, Lionsgate, MTV Networks, Starz Media, and Palm Pictures. The partnership agreements have also helped them to secure another round of financing in the 15 to 25 million dollar ballpark.

That's the happy fluffy bunny part of the announcement. What none of the stories floating around get into is how this is all going to shake down for the customers. This is certainly a case where the devil will be in the details, and knowing only what we know now, I'm not too excited about the service's prospects.

When I received the preview screeners for the new fall pilots earlier this summer, I resisted every request from friends to lend them out, copy the discs, or upload the contents. My feeling, and the feeling amongst everyone here at TVS, is that the networks are doing us a favor by sending these; why betray their trust by creating a Torrent of a show and distributing it?

I guess not everyone feels the same way we do. The Wall Street Journal recounts how pirated videos for ten pilots -- including Jericho, The Nine, and Heroes -- are making their way around the Internet. This is putting the networks in an odd position; they like the advanced buzz that has developed amongst the public before the shows even air, but they're upset because their shows are being pirated. For instance, a CBS spokesperson told the WSJ that "[w]e're pleased that there's an early demand for our shows but the marketing benefits can't excuse what is illegal theft of our programming."

What the article explains to me is how all these TVS readers have been able to see the pilots, as we've seen in the comments for our network previews. Actually, I kind of knew that these pilots were available as Torrents, but I guess I was just in denial.

[via Mediabistro]