General Summary

Amy Benzyk

General Proposal from Group 6:

We propose that Apple change the iTunes Store from its current client-server model to a new model we call TortTunes, which integrates the P2P model with the current iTunes model. Our proposal will support the implementation of TortTunes through technical, legal, economic and ethical evidence that this new model is the best solution for Apple to distribute movies more effectively to users. Instead of iTunes adding more costly servers to maintain fast download rates, this new integrated model is an alternative and more efficient solution for broadband network problems. Economically, TortTunes will attract new customers as a result of the improved quality of service that iTunes will provide as well as attaining a portion of BitTorrent’s former customers. TortTunes will give its users the choice to participate in BitTorrent, but will offer incentives (such as free movie downloads) for those who do and contribute the use of bandwidth. Legally, DRM will still be in place and TortTunes will not infringe on any copyright laws. Although some claim there might be drawbacks concerning personal security, there are ways to mitigate them and create a secure, reliable and legally-sound network. Overall, the pros outweigh any cons for this newly proposed model, and TortTunes is the best solution for Apple at this time.

ETHICS

There are several ethical issues that will be addressed throughout the proposal:

1. Ethical questions are raised over the controversial reputation of BitTorrent as being an aide to piracy and copyright infringement. Obviously, Apple does not want a close association with a company of questionable ethics. But it is important to note the recent changes BitTorrent has made to partner with various movie studios in order to legally distribute films online. This initiative is still in the early stages, but improves the image of BitTorrent significantly.

Also, it is important to distinguish that TortTunes is not the same thing as BitTorrent. TortTunes will maintain the current security and legality of iTunes. Although TortTunes will incorporate the peer-to-peer structure of BitTorrent, it will maintain DRM and enforce payment for the distributed products. TortTunes will not enable its users to pirate any movies, songs, or other media.

2. Another ethical question to address is that by using TortTunes, users will be required to upload in addition to downloading files. Ethically, we must make sure that customers are informed that downloading from TortTunes will also mean they are uploading to TortTunes and therefore sharing their bandwidth with the network. We propose an explanation of this stipulation that users will be required to read and accept while creating their account on TortTunes.

3. Movie studios are constantly complaining about Internet technology that is taking away from their business revenues. Some film industries think that software such as TortTunes that enables customers to purchase and download movies over the Internet takes a substantial amount of business away from movie theater showings and DVD sales. But what these companies don’t realize is that TortTunes would actually be beneficial in maximizing their profits. With the constantly evolving and advancing technology of the Internet, movie studios must realize that they must adjust and update their products in order to keep up. Currently, many people download movies illegally online as a significantly cheaper and more convenient way of attaining these films than purchasing or renting DVDs. Therefore movie production companies are no longer competing with each other to gain business, but they are also competing with the vast possibilities for free movie downloading that the Internet now offers. In order to compete with these free (yet illegal) downloads, movie companies would benefit from offering low priced movie downloads over the Internet. More people are likely to stop illegally downloading movies if they can legally download the movie for $3 or $4, rather than if they have to buy the DVD for $15.

Amy Benzyk