BitTorrent to Try a Paywall and Crowdfunding

This might be the latest twist on crowdfunding — or the web equivalent of seeking a ransom.BitTorrent, a purveyor of file-sharing technology that is widely used to gain free access to music and films, has come up with a bold proposition for its tens of millions of daily users: Spend $9.95 to help finance a planned new science fiction series and gain viewing rights to its eight episodes. Or fail to pay up, and the shows will never be made.The prospective series, called “Children of the Machine,” is expected to be announced on Monday as part of BitTorrent’s latest and perhaps most daring attempt to make paying customers of an estimated 170 million worldwide users. While the site itself eschews piracy, many people employ its open-source file-sharing technology to download music, films and television shows, whether legally or illegally, without charge.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/business/media/bittorrent-to-try-a-paywall-and-crowdfunding.htmlAlso see:Dotcom’s Baboom “Overwhelmed” By Indie Music Support
Kim Dotcom’s emerging music service Baboom is inviting would-be investors to grab a piece of what should be an intriguing startup. Speaking with TorrentFreak the senior advisor handling the offer says that not only is it tracking “exceptionally well” but the company is being “overwhelmed” with support from the global indie music industry.
http://torrentfreak.com/dotcoms-baboom-overwhelmed-by-indie-music-support-140714/