Mitchell Edwards has a tough new job. He recently joined San Francisco-based BitTorrent Inc., a technology company that delivers high-quality media over the Web, as general counsel and chief financial officer. BitTorrent lies at the forefront of traditional media’s 21st century transition to digital. But for better and worse, BitTorrent shares its name with a well-known open-source software often used for illegal file-sharing.
“The biggest challenge is maintaining relationships with Hollywood, with studios and with the Motion Picture Association of America and staying on their good side,” Edwards says. “[I have to help] them understand that we can help them deliver a better product and monetize their content on the Internet, even where we are accused of doing the opposite.”
