Altnet Continues To Threaten File Sharing Networks
from the yeah,-we've-heard-this-one-before... dept
Broadband Reports notes that Altnet, the company that is closely tied to Sharman Networks/Kazaa has been sending threatening patent infringement letters to those who run other file sharing networks. This isn't new. Over a year and a half ago, we wrote about how this was part of Altnet's strategy. They own a patent for determining the name of a file based on a hash. How this is possibly patentable is beyond many people -- but that's besides the point. Altnet has already been trying to use this patent to sue the RIAA for their efforts to track down file sharers, but now they're ramping up their efforts against actual file sharing networks. It is, clearly, a desperation play on the part of the company that is trying to stay relevant.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team