regardless of ones stance on piracy, all TPB does is provide links to files that contain links to files. they do not have a hand in the actual trafficking of those files. Google does exactly what TPB does, except Google actually does more of it.
I love the issue of internet piracy, since it's delightfully gray in many respects. That said, I think the Pirate Bay guys, lovable though they are, were guilty as hell. Their stance on freedom of access to content, while a fun point to argue, doesn't change the fact that they at least contributed to the illegal downloading of files.
Now, that said, I think this revelation (if true) is clearly black and white: as much as TPB loves to flip off the law, they deserve a fair trial. A judge working for copyright lobbies definitely doesn't facilitate that.
@almeister112: Remember NOT to kill the messenger. TPB is guilty as much as a gun manufacturer is guilty for killing people. If TPB was used to torrent (exchange) free programs, DRM-free music and videos, there would be no trial in the first place.
If instead of the internet, you were to "exchange" pirated movies through a phone line with a modem (slow albeit possible), are you going to sue the phone company? or the Modem manufacturer? or the PC maker?.
Remember, Do NOT kill the messenger.
As far as the trial, this new development shows it was a setup and bias. I hope the Swedish people can put up with it. They are the ones that are going to get stuck with the trial bill and final costs. Nothing is Free.
This is all irrelevant - what happens to Pirate Bay tells us nothing about the future, because this is just copyright law in its death throes. Convicting or not convicting them won't make any difference to whether or not people are prepared to pay for content. Increasingly they aren't.
@xThadd: Well, if people aren't willing to pay for content, there won't be any content. Well, there will be enough free stuff to get people to go to concerts or to buy merchandise. Without copyright laws, you take away most of the incentive to produce and market content.
@dc-united: Oh my God. This causes people to consider actually working! Bands will now have to do concerts to make money rather than record it and forget it. Stop the inhumanity and let the artists be lazy!
@Halfwit: Those examples are not examples of artists born and bred in our current entertainment industry, and are therefore not relevant in this context.
If you're going to make a counterpoint, at least be logical about it.
@mangochutney: It's the official "S-word" clip, and MUST be invoked whenever the word shows up. Usually I do it. There's a really detailed one I made once, but I forget where it is.
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no, they can't. if TPB shuts down, BT traffic won't even hiccup.
06/25/09
04/23/09
Now, that said, I think this revelation (if true) is clearly black and white: as much as TPB loves to flip off the law, they deserve a fair trial. A judge working for copyright lobbies definitely doesn't facilitate that.
04/23/09
TPB is guilty as much as a gun manufacturer is guilty for killing people.
If TPB was used to torrent (exchange) free programs, DRM-free music and videos, there would be no trial in the first place.
If instead of the internet, you were to "exchange" pirated movies through a phone line with a modem (slow albeit possible), are you going to sue the phone company? or the Modem manufacturer? or the PC maker?.
Remember, Do NOT kill the messenger.
As far as the trial, this new development shows it was a setup and bias. I hope the Swedish people can put up with it. They are the ones that are going to get stuck with the trial bill and final costs. Nothing is Free.
04/23/09
TPB is more like the company that says, "Talk to these people about making arms deals for your revolution."
Their behavior isn't technically illegal, but it is highly distasteful and more than a little unethical.
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04/23/09
If you're going to make an argument, at least be logical about it.
04/23/09
If you're going to make a counterpoint, at least be logical about it.
04/23/09
04/23/09
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