James Delahunty
28 Jan 2005 8:06
The Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) has released software for parents that scans a computer for video and audio files that are potentially copyrighted. It then gives parents the option to remove files and programs but the MPAA has assured parents that details on the files that are found will not be passed onto the MPAA. "Our ultimate goal is to help consumers locate the resources and information they need to make appropriate decisions about using and trading illegal files," said Dan Glickman, MPAA chief. "Many parents are concerned about what their children have downloaded and where they've downloaded it from."
However, some testers of the program have already mentioned its flaws. For example, the program picks up the Windows .wav files as potentially copyright infringing files and wants to delete them. Analysts claim that movie piracy cost the Movie Industry $7bn in 2003 alone. The MPAA has promised to release similar tools in the near future to help parents combat P2P software that they say not only allows children to trade copyrighted material, but also leaves their computers open to other threats like viruses. Mr Glickman said the MPAA is embracing new legal movie sites online but said that in order for them to become successful, illegitimate services that rely on stolen material to survive will have to be stamped out first.
Source:
BBC News