BitTorrent gives back.

BitTorrent, the company responsible for the development of one of the world’s most popular file sharing protocols, has decided to give back to the entertainment community that, one could argue, they’ve been profiting from since they were founded in 2004.

The company has established the Discovery Fund, a grant system intended to “preserve art’s outside voices” and move away from the internet’s obsession with immediately profitable “content”.

Over the next year, the BitTorrent plans to pick 25 “creators” (artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers or anything else) to award up to $100,000 to help “build impactful releases”. The company also intends to assist with the promotional push, and is using a rolling call system, meaning that you can simply apply when your project is good and ready.

The rules for application are laid out over at BitTorrent’s site, and the company’s VP Initiatives, Straith Schreder, clarified in a blog post that the process is “simple”. “You make something awesome. You own it. We back it, and help you find a global audience for your big idea.” [via Pitchfork]