Google Runs a Bit Torrent Tracker

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/1335/tpg.jpg

Comparisons between Google and a BitTorrent tracker have been drawn for years now. The similarities are becoming obvious to more people recently, thanks to the TPB trial. If ever there was a line separating Google from BitTorrent trackers, it has now blurred into non-existent as Google is offering a new BitTorrent tracker via the Google App Engine.

We are seeing sites like thepirategoogle.com and clients like uTorrent offering .torrent searches via the Google engine, both of which have been blocked by Google. The former was created for the sole purpose of pointing out the absurdity of pursuing a site like thepiratebay while claiming Google is different. The latter, uTorrent, is merely trying to operate a legitimate and legal search function. Both have been blocked by Google who does not like being compared to TPB.

Which is why you may share my surprise as I tell you that a new tracker, ipnm.ru, is being brought to you via the Google App Engine. What is the Google App Engine? For the scope of this blog, the first sentence of their description tells us all we need to know about it.

Google App Engine lets you run your web applications on Google’s infrastructure.

In this case, the application happens to be a Bit Torrent tracker. This is a brilliant idea and I’m sure it will see a lot of use. That or it will be shut down promptly. Something tells me we can start the countdown to when that will happen, but in the meantime, this looks like a great way to share files with family, friends and colleagues. Anyone who wants to can create a .torrent indexing site without ever being involved in any file hosting or file transfers. Do it! The hosting of course will be provided by each user (peer) on the network and file transfer traffic will be directed through Google’s beastly servers.

When it comes to file-sharing, they are right, the hobbyists running TPB shouldn’t be compared to them. Google can handle a hell of a lot more users, they are far more established and well known from a marketing standpoint, and I’m sure they have a far more extensive legal team to draw on should this lead to a law suit.

Welcome to the file-sharing community, Google.

:source: Source: Blog Pirate

Does it require invites?

:lol: I would hope not

good one rasta-man!

Google Currently Offering Free Public and Private BitTorrent Trackers

There have been many who compare Google to ThePirateBay. The technical front may be more of a grey area that can be debated back and forth, but the line that defines the differences between Google and ThePirateBay may be a little more blurry on that technical side after one observant user spotted Google’s BitTorrent trackers.

People who are frustrated at the guilty verdict handed down to ThePiratebay, to which the admins have currently vowed to appeal, have been quick to draw comparisons between ThePirateBay and Google. One user went so far as to create a mash-up website called ThePirateGoogle - a website that has since been blocked.

Even though lawyers have been contemplating the legal implications of the guilty verdict for Google, one observant user noticed a feature in the Google AppEngine that may be a surprise to many. It’s a service known as IPNM which allows users to use BitTorrent trackers to upload to friends that is run by Google.

It should be noted that the service has been running for about a month now, but it’s confusing that when Google cries foul over people comparing them to ThePirateBay when they, in turn, offer a similar service themselves. While it doesn’t appear that the service is searchable yet, what’s to stop someone from creating a private forum and running the BitTorrent service through IPNM? That much isn’t clear. What also isn’t clear is whether or not the service is filtered.

Still, this won’t do much to quell those who say that there is a double standard going on here - more than likely re-invigorate the debate.

Google=TPB

lol.... i want to see this