Harry Potter Movies for Download

Hoping to combat illegal piracy of their films, Warner Brothers announced today that they will be releasing movies for legal download via the net. Using BitTorrent, the site that was “once blamed for aiding the swapping of illegally copied films and programs”, Warners will make more than 200 movies available for download, including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. ” Reuters reports:

“The content will be available on the same day and date they are put on sale in retail stores, but cannot be copied and burned onto a DVD. They must reside on a computer drive.

BitTorrent will charge customers, and while final prices have not been set, the company expects TV shows to be priced comparably to the current rate of $1 per episode on other Web sites and movies to be around the price of a new DVD.

“We have just been embraced by the largest movie studio that is owned by largest media company,” said Ashwin Navin, co-founder of BitTorrent. “We expect to see more deals and to push the envelope” for getting people video on the Web.”

No word if other Harry Potter films will eventually be available via this method, but a WB exec is quoted as saying:

“Entering into agreements such as this to distribute our content is not only a better way to reach existing and new customers, but a reflection of the critical role distribution technologies play in the future of the entertainment industry