P2P - a legit business model?

Let's face it, P2P file-sharing arguably presents the biggest leakage to copyright revenue for traditional professional content, like music, movies and computer games. In Australia, iiNet is being sued by Roadshow Films (with backing from AFACT). Case ref: [2009] FCA 332.

Roadshow alleges:
* by a user making available a movie file via BitTorrent, the user is making the movie available to the public, thus infringing the "right to communicate to the public".
* by downloading a copy of the film onto their computer, the user has infringing the "reproduction right".
* by providing the facilities for this infringement, iiNet has authorised the infringement, which is an act of infringement itself.

So, in this case, the copyright holder (Roadshow) is probably sick of chasing down each and every infringer (the evidence submitted indicated that Roadshow had enough information to identify the infringers but wanted iiNet to do something about it [i.e. disconnect them]), and wants the ISP to take action, and failing that, the copyright holders takes action against the ISP.

Meanwhile, on the otherside of the world, The Pirate Bay is trying to get a legit business model up and running supporting the P2P method of file sharing.

SMH report here.

If this Pirate Bay thing works out (which in my pessimistic mind, it won't), maybe everyone around the world, including Australia and New Zealand can stop worrying about the "three-strikes and you're disconnected" idea that's been floating around for a while now. New Zealand tried it, and had to pike after a public outcry.

Story stub here.

(I love this site, they've disabled selecting text, it's a copyright holders site, how funny!)