] Concert tickets, DVDs and even laptops will be used to
] encourage users of the online bazaar known as Kazaa to
] swap legal files instead of pirated movies and music.
]
] The Peer Points Manager program announced Monday will
] essentially be Internet file-sharing's version of
] frequent flyer miles.
]
] Kazaa users earn points for making legal files available
] to others over the Internet. The points can be redeemed
] for small prizes like computer games or for sweepstakes
] entries to win larger items.
]
] The program is being run by Altnet, a Kazaa partner
] trying to promote sharing of legal files that can be
] limited in different ways by their creators, for instance
] songs that can only be played a certain number of times.
]
] Altnet distributes about 1,000 of such protected files
] for music, movies and software. Many of the songs
] available, however, are from obscure bands who aren't
] charging for the protected files anyway.
]
] Currently, when users search for files on Kazaa, they get
] "gold" listings of Altnet-sponsored items and "blue"
] listings of everything else, much of it pirated. Either
] way, users obtain files directly from a fellow user's
] computer.
]
] Kevin Bermeister, Altnet's chief executive, said users
] have been downloading about 20 million gold files each
] month, even though the blue versions are just a click
] away.

An interesting and pragmatic approach to the P2P "problem".

Laughing Boy