Big Month for BitTorrent

The file-sharing service BitTorrent will start offering movies and TV shows from Warner Bros. as soon as this summer, according to Chris Gaither of the LA Times. Gaither points out that BitTorrent can be harder for novices to use than Apple's iTunes Music Store.

The New York Times coverage says this about pricing: "about $1 for some television programs and increasing to about the price of a DVD or video rental for full-length movies." The Times adds:

To use the service, consumers will visit www.bittorrent.com, download the software and then browse the selections on the Web site. They will be prevented from copying and distributing files they purchase through two mechanisms: one that requires them to enter a password before watching a file, and another that allows the file to be viewed only on the computer to which it was downloaded.

Also, at the Tribeca Film Festival last week, director Steven Soderbergh mentioned that he plans to use BitTorrent to release a short film he's making.