Thursday, January 13, 2005

Altnet, Brilliant Digital Target File Sharing Networks

Sherman Oaks-based Altnet, and its parent company Brilliant Digital Entertainment have sent letters to a number of peer-to-peer file swapping networks demanding that they pay royalties to the company. The move by Altnet, which provides a peer-to-peer file swapping network based on Kazaa, follows a lawsuit the company filed against the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) last year claiming patent infringement of its technology. According to ZDNet and the Washington Post, the letters were sent to LimeWire, BearShare, and Mashboxx claiming that the companies are using patented technology. Altnet's software allows for the legal distribution of music over the Kazaa network, and is apparently seeking to gain royalty payments for use of its patents.

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