AfterDawn: News

Nearly 200,000 USD claim for Pirate Bay

Today was the first day in court for the lawsuit against Pirate Bay. The prosecutor set charges for four persons responsible for Pirate Bay's activities. Three of the accused, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm and Peter Sunde, are known Pirate Bay activists and the fourth is a businessman Carl Lundström who formerly owned the company Rix Port 80 which provided Internet Bandwidth for the use of Pirate Bay.

The prosecutions for aiding in copyright infringement cover the illegal distribution of 20 music pieces, nine movies and four video games. The prosecutor demanded that the individuals involved would have to pay 1,2 million SEK (approx. 187 500 USD) and turn over their computers to the government. Prosecutor Roswall is going to use representatives of IFPI and Swedish anti-piracy camp Antipiratbyrån as witnesses and the email conversations of the quartet will serve as one evidence.



Pirate Bay has a strict stand about the lawsuit. They consider it being a political persecution where Hollywood lobbyist are in the driving seat rather than the correct Swedish authorities. According to a Swedish site E24.se and their poll, the people are behind Pirate Bay. 89 percent answered that they consider the lawsuit being "wrong and disgraceful way to try to end file sharing" and only 6 percent are on the prosecutor's side.

Written by: Matti Robinson @ 31 Jan 2008 7:35

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• 19 comments

• dabs40

  stop the repression and live with your time...:)

  31.1.2008 08:47 #1

• nobrainer

  BTW American Big Business and law makers, American law is NOT global, YET.
  

  The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

  31.1.2008 09:16 #2

• xempler

  Quote:Pirate Bay has a strict stand about the lawsuit. They consider it being a political persecution where Hollywood lobbyist are in the driving seat rather than the correct Swedish authoritiesRight on the money...literally.

  31.1.2008 09:58 #3

• sdduk

  Originally posted by nobrainer: BTW American Big Business and law makers, American law is NOT global, YET.
  American law will never be globel....you try telling the china that they will laugh at you....china is the up and coming big business at the moment they are flooding the world with there goods.

  31.1.2008 10:17 #4

• maryjayne

  Quote:20 music pieces, nine movies and four video games
  Numbers are small for one, and for another the Pirate Bay does not distribute music, movies, and video games. They distribute torrents.
  
  This trial can swing either way since I am sure the prosecution and judge will be ignorant in knowing the technologies involved with the case. Either way though the Pirate Bay will not be shut down completely!

  31.1.2008 10:28 #5

• PetahG

  I just feel bad for those guys from PirateBay.,..They constantly have to go through this stupid shi* and its all so we could have free movies music and games...thnx guys, we owe it to you.

  31.1.2008 11:36 #6

• emugamer

  This is stage 1. If TPB loses this and has to turn over their servers and records, we may see the next stages in this witch hunt.

  31.1.2008 11:54 #7

• eiamhere

  The 6% are the corrupt or sponsored by the corrupt

  31.1.2008 11:58 #8

• silk42

  Isn't Government suppose to support the people? If 89% of the people feel a certain way, then the Government needs to support them. I realize that we live in the "real" world and that even in a democracy the majority doesn't always rule. However, we're talking about 89% of the people interviewed. If you're looking to get elected into office, this is a portion of the population that you don't want to disappoint. I would be surprised if The Pirate Bay is found guilty in this case.

  31.1.2008 12:07 #9

• hm577

  Originally posted by nobrainer: BTW American Big Business and law makers, American law is NOT global, YET.
  It better NOT be!!! I love my country but HATE what it stands for now. I hate the way it's run, ruled and governed. The U.S. believes that it can police the activities of EVERY country in the world. B.S.!!!!!!!!!! We may be the most powerful regarding our military and weapons but it doesn't mean that we should be involving ourselves in all other's business. This is in large part to the worst president in history with the worst rating and the MOST DAMAGE done to the U.S. economy, integrity, reputation, etc.............President frakkin' Bush. I did not vote for him and those that did should truly be sent to the gallows or lined up and blindfolded.
  
  
  
  ************Unless they admit NOW that a vote for him was a mistake. Only THEN will I be sympathetic.

  31.1.2008 12:20 #10

• xugiua

  A-Men brother

  31.1.2008 15:53 #11

• domie

  $ 187,500 ? dunno how they arrive at that one - wasn't that silly woman in the states who fought the RIAA in court charged $ 220,000 for 11 music tracks ?
  
  Either way, we hope the PB gets out of this one and if the INDEPENDENT Swedish Newspapers can be relied on, the sum of $ 187,500 is only about 1 month advertising revenue for the Pirate Bay- remember it is the 146th biggest website in the world !!! It is absolutely massive. The owners must be millionaires by now.

  31.1.2008 16:16 #12

• hm577

  Originally posted by domie: $ 187,500 ? dunno how they arrive at that one - wasn't that silly woman in the states who fought the RIAA in court charged $ 220,000 for 11 music tracks ?
  
  Either way, we hope the PB gets out of this one and if the INDEPENDENT Swedish Newspapers can be relied on, the sum of $ 187,500 is only about 1 month advertising revenue for the Pirate Bay- remember it is the 146th biggest website in the world !!! It is absolutely massive. The owners must be millionaires by now.
  What's the biggest?? Very interesting about it being the 146th largest............VERY interesting. I did not know that.

  31.1.2008 16:23 #13

• snowlock

  Quote:...The prosecutions for aiding in copyright infringement cover the illegal distribution of 20 music pieces, nine movies and four video games...wonder what's special about those particular files...
  
  also, they're obviously only even addressing this lawsuit publicly due to the principle of the matter at hand. just like domie said, it's not a lot of money for them. with 10 million users and (newly posted) $4 million US per year, they don't worry about a couple hundred grand.
  
  good luck pirate bay
  
  keep flying the jolly roger. fight tooth and nail for the right to freely distribute the mass-produced-nonsense peddled elsewhere for ridiculous up-charges.

  31.1.2008 18:18 #14

• SamNz

  all this free advertising must being doing TPB a lot of good :)

  31.1.2008 23:59 #15

• ikari

  Originally posted by domie: $ 187,500 ? dunno how they arrive at that one - wasn't that silly woman in the states who fought the RIAA in court charged $ 220,000 for 11 music tracks ?
  
  Either way, we hope the PB gets out of this one and if the INDEPENDENT Swedish Newspapers can be relied on, the sum of $ 187,500 is only about 1 month advertising revenue for the Pirate Bay- remember it is the 146th biggest website in the world !!! It is absolutely massive. The owners must be millionaires by now.Honestly, I don't think it is about the money. If the PB loses this case, it will open the flow gates legally for everyone else to sue them. Isn't this what you would call a "test case"

  1.2.2008 11:11 #16

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by nobrainer: BTW American Big Business and law makers, American law is NOT global, YET.its not "American" law anymore tho...

  1.2.2008 19:20 #17

• UkWizard

  Originally posted by nobrainer: BTW American Big Business and law makers, American law is NOT global, YET.American law will never be global. Worldwide downloads will never stop. They can try new types of anti-rip dvds and cds all they like, no matter what all will be cracked in the end up.

  1.2.2008 23:04 #18

• borhan9

  This will be a long and out streched battle that we are going to have here and i feel that at least this will go on for 2 years back and forth before we get to see anything crucial happen that will set a precident at least maybe for Europe.

  22.2.2008 15:29 #19