Altnet Signs Deal With Rapper Ice-T

Altnet, a Los Angeles-based service that helps copyright holders deliver files securely over the peer-to-peer Kazaa network, has signed a deal with rapper Ice-T to distribute his new record “Repossession” online. Altnet and Ice-T’s record label, Final Level Entertainment, will be selling the rapper’s 19-track record online for $4.99. The deal also calls for Altnet to distribute an additional 16 audio or video tracks in the future.

Such deals could pose a risk for record labels, which have sued Kazaa for contributory copyright infringement. Altnet said that by relying on Kazaa users to transmit more than 90% of its files to other users, it can distribute files almost for free. And by wrapping those files in electronic locks, it can protect against piracy and give copyright owners a way to demand payment.