AfterDawn: News

Anti-piracy law cuts Internet traffic in Sweden

The newly adopted anti-piracy law has significantly cut down Internet use in Sweden. A legislation, which is based on the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive (IPRED), has resulted in a 30% drop in day-to-day traffic. In the two days that the law -- which was designed to give copyright holders and authorities more possibilities to act against illegal file-sharing -- has been in use it seems to have scared off a lot of people.

Both the Swedish anti-piracy office and the Swedish Pirate Party agree that the drop was caused by the law. However, they do disagree whether that's the way the law should affect.



"This is what disturbs me the most — that the industry thrives on scaring the common citizen," told Swedish Pirate Party Chairman Rick Falkvinge to TorrentFreak.

Henrik Pontén from Swedish anti-piracy office said to Svenska Dagbladet that the drop is a good indication that the legislation is a success, "most of the Internet traffic is file-sharing and therefore the is no other reason for the drop than the new IPRED law."

According to Rick Falkvinge the scare effect will last only a week or two. Regardless of the drop, in the last 24 hours almost 400,000 Swedes connected to the Pirate Bay tracker, with no decline.

The traffic can be monitored from the Netnod website.



Written by: Matti Robinson @ 3 Apr 2009 5:12

• Previous article

• BlackBerry App World launches

• Next article

• New iPhone to have 3.2-megapixel camera?

• 9 comments

• ZippyDSM

  Ah nothing like bullying the populace to ensure your antiquated industry remains in business.
  
  Non profit based "sahreing" is a protest against the status quo of media fascism.

  3.4.2009 05:34 #1

• Lothros

  Not really. Its just people are cheap.
  
  Also, this will last a few days before people lrn2tor or lrn27proxy, then it will go back to normal

  3.4.2009 12:18 #2

• DXR88

  maybe there's nothing worth downloading Right Now.
  
  Whatever the case its not fear. Joe get what Joe want

  3.4.2009 13:44 #3

• veyron

  If I lived there I would probably consider the ipredator proxy the bay is offering.

  3.4.2009 15:05 #4

• vballstud

  Cool. Just means it will be easier downloading Swedish adult movies from the Swedish servers.
  

  
  
  Afterdawns e-Thug & e-asshole
  I have no tolerance for idiots... or people that dont know how to use Google.

  3.4.2009 15:22 #5

• atomicxl

  LOL @ bullying. These guys are breaking the law. They deserved to be bullied. Actually, I think criminals deserve alot worse than just bullying, but thats a different subject.
  
  30% of Swedish net traffic is devoted to breaking the law. Maybe these people are out riding a bike, reading a book or doing something productive with their minds rather than devoting themselves to criminal acts.
  
  I think this a good thing: 1) less criminals and 2) less traffic for people doing legal/important things.

  4.4.2009 00:34 #6

• DXR88

  Originally posted by atomicxl: LOL @ bullying. These guys are breaking the law. They deserved to be bullied. Actually, I think criminals deserve alot worse than just bullying, but thats a different subject.
  
  30% of Swedish net traffic is devoted to breaking the law. Maybe these people are out riding a bike, reading a book or doing something productive with their minds rather than devoting themselves to criminal acts.
  
  I think this a good thing: 1) less criminals and 2) less traffic for people doing legal/important things.The Law, he who sets it in place is the one that controls what you do with your life.
  
  The Law protects criminal's and punishes the good people.
  
  The law is a well fabricated lie for a very lawless world.
  
  whether you realize it or not murders will still have fully automatic weapons. Civilians cannot we are barred from having or even owning one.
  
  The corporations run rapid, Stealing from us. yet we can do nothing to stop it as the law protects them.
  
  when are rights are stripped from us completely. the law will be there ready to say you cant have your rights back.

  4.4.2009 01:23 #7

• blueroad

  Originally posted by vballstud: Cool. Just means it will be easier downloading Swedish adult movies from the Swedish servers.lol mate youv got style indeed swedish adult content is the best there is XD
  
  and on topic this wont last..even new zeland is rethinking its policy..theres only so much the corps can do and even those money hungry ppl at the goverments will hav heart feeling in the end

  5.4.2009 04:51 #8

• dbminter

  One thing to note: they posted a chart. Whenever some entity posts some kind of graph to back up their assertion, it's usually manipulated data.

  9.4.2009 15:12 #9