Popcorn Time Creators Unveil Legal Torrent Streaming Service 'Butter'

The creators of Popcorn Time, an infamous multi-platform streaming client that allows users to stream and watch movie torrents, have "stripped down the service" to release a legal version of it called Butter. The creators noted that they took out all the sketchy parts from Popcorn Time while making Butter, a move that they hope will attract developers and keep the service intact from legal threats.

The developers behind Popcorn Time says that Butter comes with all the core components that one would need to make a great streaming service, but reiterated that it doesn't directly offer the ability to access copyright infringe content. No binaries have been provided either.

The team has shared the code for Butter on GitHub, instead of its own website over copyright concerns. The company has partnered with VODO to get free licensed content, and it also has plans to get content from Internet Archive, and its own Popcorn Time TV.

The creators of Popcorn Time had launched a Web-version of the service in May, but it was recently shut down after series of attacks and problems with its service provider.

Streaming or downloading pirated content has its own moral and legal implications. Ever since its inception, Popcorn Time has been on the radar of film-making trade associations like the MPAA. In a year and a half of its existence, it has received many takedown notices and has been subjected to several copyright infringement lawsuits.

"This new project, hosted on GitHub, is basically your beloved Popcorn Time stipped down of the parts that made people wary. Butter is created so that anyone can contribute to great desktop and mobile apps that allows to stream movies and shows from Bittorrent (and other sources, but more on that later) in a stylish and easy way." the company wrote in a blog post .

Interestingly, Indian-startup Teewe announced recently that it will soon add a feature to its media streaming dongle that among other things will allow users to stream torrents.