Open Media Network Launches Public Beta

Press Release: The Open Media Network (OMN) was launched yesterday, which lets users easily download movies, music, video blogs, podcasts, public television and radio programming using a P2P network. The network is powered by Kontiki Grid Delivery technology, which provides a secure, commercial alternative to BitTorrent and it supports Microsoft's DRM.. Basically, OMN is a free consumer service for viewing public service content and the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based non-profit is a start-up founded by Netscape veterans Mike Homer and Marc Andreessen. OMN will eventually allow both professional and amateur content creators to set any fees to download their content, which will be indexed in a program guide similar to TiVo's. According to the press release, it gives users worldwide access to various media while fully protecting the producers’ copyrights. The OMN will screen out unauthorized copyrighted content from being shared among users, while encouraging creators to authorize use of their submissions under Creative Commons licenses.  Using the service, consumers can currently view the content on multiple devices, including PCs and iPods - with televisions and cell phone functionality expected by the summer.

“Widespread broadband adoption, mass market video creation tools and technologies such as RSS are transforming communication, entertainment and information,” said Mike Homer, founder of the Open Media Foundation which produces OMN.  “Our goal with Open Media Network is to provide a valuable public service that gives consumers an easy way to get both traditional and grassroots media authorized for Internet distribution and help usher in a new era in mass publishing.”

Marc Freedman, blogger over at P2P Filesharing and developer of TrustyFiles, wasn't all that impressed with the announcements ...Check out his comments HERE.

Related:
--Network Shares Audio and Video, Screens Out Bootlegs