By Heather McLean, 4 April 2002 13:11
NEWS Online ad firm Brilliant Digital Entertainment claims it is not breaking any rules by bundling its peer-to-peer networking technology with KaZaA. Brilliant has been secretly bundling its own technology with the download for popular file-swapping technology KaZaA since last autumn. The California-based company plans to use the software to build an extensive P2P network to distribute its clients' 3D advertising. Brilliant's software was added to the download file with KaZaA's permission. The company said it plans to switch on the network within weeks in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing last Monday. Nicola Hemming CEO of KaZaA's holding company Sharman Networks, said there was no downside for users of the file-swapping software. Blastoise, the company that owns and operates KaZaA's underlying technology, also owns 40 per cent of Brilliant's P2P operation unit Altnet. The Altnet P2P network will be switched on as soon as the company has found computer owners who have PCs with higher than average processing power, free space on hard drives and broadband internet connections to act as hubs - or anchors - to support other PCs that will be connected to the network. The hub PC owners will be compensated for their cooperation with free gift certificates and products. The rest of the network, which includes all KaZaA users, will be connected shortly after, as long as they agree by clicking a pop-up that will inform them they are about to join Altnet's advertising network. Over 20 million users have downloaded KaZaA since February 2002.
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