First came Kazaa, which changed the way we bought music. Or didn't buy it, to be strictly accurate. Then came Skype, which changed the way we made calls and allowed us to tear up our phone bills for good.

Now we have Joost, the newly-unveiled name for The Venice Project from Skype/Kazaa founders Niklas and Janus, and it looks set to do for our TV viewing what Skype did for our phone habit: allow us to do a lot more of it for a lot less money.

The new web TV service offers broadcast-quality full-screen content and full copyright guarantees – and, unbelievably, it's free. Or maybe I shouldn't be so surprised, judging by Niklas and Janus' track record.

Joost was launched as The Venice Project in November as a limited beta test. The secure peer-to-peer platform allows content owners to post broadcast-quality content online and viewers to access it for free. It is based on a community-driven website that can be accessed by anyone with a broadband connection.

Chief exec Fredrik de Wahl claimed that the service gives viewers free content without compromising rights. “People are looking for increased choice and flexibility in their TV experience, while the entertainment industry needs to retain control over their content,” he said. “We’ve married that consumer desire with the industry’s interests.”

Head over to Joost.com for more info and to sign up for the beta.