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Tim Thorpe (Blog) - June 25, 2006 10:39 AM

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15 comment(s) - last by creathir.. on Jul 19 at 1:17 PM

ThePirateBay.org seems to have won its most recent battle, but the war has just started

It’s been an interesting month for ThePirateBay.org to say the least. A police raid of their servers, an impressive reorganization and re-launch in another country in less than 4 days, accusations that the US government pressured the action and the political wake it has caused in Sweden has been remarkable to say the least.

Earlier this month ThePirateBay.org servers, under pressure from US diplomatic channels it is alleged, were raided and confiscated by the Swedish police in relation to an ongoing investigation by the US MPAA. Celebration for the MPAA was short lived however as the site was back online in less than three days while ThePirateBay.org relocated its operation temporarily to a datacenter in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. On June 15th ThePirateBay.org moved back to its home in Sweden in a final insult to the MPAA -- which included a less than friendly message in the reverse DNS of the new server home.

News reports in Sweden (YouTube) allege that the MPAA has pressured the US to threaten sanctions against Sweden if the country does not move to better protect intellectual property rights in the country. ThePirateBay's blog further alleges that the MPAA hired a private investigator to tail site employees.

The entire ordeal has backfired horribly for the MPAA, as ThePirateBay.org’s traffic has quadrupled since the raid reaching the top 500 on Alexa's site index.

The Swedish media has slammed the state action taken by the Swedish Government. Piratpartiet, a Swedish political party advocating DRM and IP reform founded in the wake of TPB's raids has gained considerable headway, so much so that a similar party has been started in the United States.

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US law in Sweden?

By Viditor on 6/25/2006 12:35:24 PM , Rating: 3

I find it quite ironic that after the Bush administration withdrew support for the World Court (ICC), they find themselves unable to enforce copyright laws around the world.
What the PirateBay does is in no way illegal in Sweden, because they never distribute or have copyrighted material on their servers...it's only the US Sepreme Court's decision in June of 2005 that even makes it illegal in the US.
Now the US is threatening trade sanctions to enforce local US law in other countries? Sweden's law is within International Copyright laws, so I don't see where the US has a case...unless they are planning to openly abuse their trading power.

RE: US law in Sweden?

By Saist on 6/25/2006 3:04:33 PM , Rating: 3

Then it's up to the citizens of the US to inform their senators and the friends to the liberal democrats in the RIAA and MPAA that it's time for them to shut up.

And, btw. Nice try to attempt to link Bush to this. Sorry Pal. Attempt failed. Mass media is controlled and owned by hardcore leftists who HATE Bush. In case you didn't realize it by the massive amount of anti-Bush writings from the AP, Reuters, CNN, NBC, and ABC. Somehow I highly doubt that a card carrying Liberal in the employ of the RIAA or the MPAA is really going to be interested in working with a card Carrying Conservative like President Bush.

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RE: US law in Sweden?

By johnsonx on 6/26/2006 8:15:20 PM , Rating: 2

Conservative?!?!?!?

What the hell ever gave you the idea that Bush is a conservative?

Like the old saying goes, "With 'conservatives' like these, who needs liberals?"

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Conservatively Bush?

By Pete84 on 6/27/2006 2:09:15 AM , Rating: 2

President Bush is definitely not a conservative in a classic, Reagan conservative sense. As has been pointed out numerous times in numerous venues, he is a Republican first, and (perhaps? maybe?) a conservative second.

And if I use the word "conservative" one more time, somebody shoot me.

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Piracy as An International Issue

By techhappy on 6/25/2006 5:14:43 PM , Rating: 1

Isn't it becoming apparent by now that stopping piracy on an international level is pretty futile? The Pirate Bay doesn't even host the questionable files, that are as anonymous as google providing search links to questionable materials. Even if Sweden adopts stricter intellectual rights law, all it takes is an export to another country's server to evade trouble. The only way to stop questionable torrents is if strict international property right laws are adopted by all countries worldwide, that's about as likely to happen as world peace, at least in our lifetime.

Got to hand it to TPB for being crafty, despite persecution.

RE: Piracy as An International Issue

By masher2

(blog) on 6/25/2006 6:17:14 PM , Rating: 1

> "Isn't it becoming apparent by now that stopping piracy on an international level is pretty futile? "

On the contrary, stopping piracy is actually quite easy. The only thing preventing it at the moment is simple inertia...the wheels and cogs of international law turn slowly.

Within a decade, I'm sure we'll see another treaty (similar to Berne, WIPO, etc) that focuses strictly upon preventing Internet-based piracy. Then you'll see the torrents shut off, almost overnight.

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RE: Piracy as An International Issue

By techhappy on 6/25/2006 7:16:56 PM , Rating: 1

> Within a decade, I'm sure we'll see another treaty (similar to Berne, WIPO, etc) that focuses strictly upon preventing Internet-based piracy. Then you'll see the torrents shut off, almost overnight.

I wouldn't get too optimistic about that, technology always finds a way. Like piracy before P2P, then the evolution to Bit Torrents, and who knows what in the near future. Although, I am sure that something will get done eventually to curb internet piracy, regardless of whatever this is that does eventually happen, people will always find a way, as they have for black market type items, for thousands of years...

In such a way, it can be said, that Pandora's box has been unleashed with the internet. The hope is that stricter more sophisticated copy protection technologies will come along, but even then, they will probably get cracked. Is there any hope? Sure, we'll just have to wait and see...

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RE: Piracy as An International Issue

By Knish on 6/25/2006 9:23:56 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
and who knows what in the near future.

You can already see some of the torrents pop up on Freenet and Tor. Good luck finding a way of shutting those two down -- Freenet has been around forever.

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RE: Piracy as An International Issue

By masher2

(blog) on 6/26/2006 9:18:01 AM , Rating: 1

> " Good luck finding a way of shutting those two down -- Freenet has been around forever . "

Hehe, no. Much less than a decade even. That may seem like "forever" to a youngster grown up on Internet time...but in the realm of International Law, its the blink of an eye.

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RE: Piracy as An International Issue

By masher2

(blog) on 6/26/2006 9:22:21 AM , Rating: 2

> "I wouldn't get too optimistic about that, technology always finds a way"

Technology only "finds a way" when there is no legal framework for enforcement. The situation today is near-zero governmental involvement in individual-level piracy.

When downloading a pirated work means not just a 1/100000 chance of a RIAA lawsuit, but rather a knock on your door by federal marshals, the situation will be rather different.

Seriously, the 'wild west' atmosphere of the Internet is nothing new historically. Technology has created similar situations many times in the past few centuries. Law always lags behind...but it eventually catches up.

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Since Im a Swede

By Frallan on 6/26/2006 9:54:11 AM , Rating: 2

I think I can add something to this discussion.

A: We have another view on piratcopying here then in the US for example it is legal to duplicate all material for own use and for private distribution in Sweden. Private distribution = private relations such as friends and family. This will be very hard to impossible to remove in sweden.
B: The main issue with this is that we have a strong sense of independance here and that our politicians have influenced our police is not only illegal but against the Swedish culture and has really disturbed a lot of people here.

Now as for the issue it self.

I have allready declared where i stand culturally but Im also a M.Sc of international business so i realize that there have to be protection for the ownersjip of IP. But as it is now i happen to agree with most of the pirate spokespeople. As long as there is no reasonable alternative I will Pirate my stuff.

The keyworld is reasonable - and that means that my expense have to stnd in relation to what it costs to provide the service and how exclusive it is.

And as a addon to this I believe there will always be a "darknet" where pirates will thrive and the only thing to do about it is to let the market live its life - soon someone will figure a working business model out and there you are... All of a sudden all the big firms will adapt or go down the drain. thats the market for you.

RE: Since Im a Swede

By masher2

(blog) on 6/26/2006 10:13:10 AM , Rating: 2

> "As long as there is no reasonable alternative I will Pirate my stuff."

Where does an alternative not exist? All this copyrighted material is for sale somewhere. If you want a copy-- buy it.

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Copyrighted Availability

By Pete84 on 6/27/2006 2:14:26 AM , Rating: 2

Most available material on torrent or Usenet that is copyrighted is available via legal channels, yes, except for (and this is changing, thankfully) TV programs in their current season run.

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RE: Since Im a Swede

By creathir on 7/19/2006 1:17:49 PM , Rating: 2

The problem lies in his definition of "reasonable"

Reasonable to him means free...

- Creathir

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Trust us..

By masher2

(blog) on 6/25/2006 3:45:30 PM , Rating: 4

We're the Pirate Bay...but we have nothing to do with Piracy. Honest!

"I'm an Internet expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired." -- North Korean Supreme Commander Kim Jong-il