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The guys behind The Pirate Bay—the world’s largest file-sharing site and an important part of the debate regarding copyright law, piracy, and the Internet—have announced that they filed a police report today. The issue stems from an anti-piracy organization from Finland who built a parody website using pieces of The Pirate Bay’s website. Last week TPB revealed that they filed a lawsuit, and today they take things one step further and push for legal action to be taken.
While it may seem unlikely that The Pirate Bay would be fighting for enforcement of copyright law, they have insisted—even when taken to court and threatened with prison time—that their site is not any more at fault than the Internet itself, and that they have not broken copyright law, that they have only created a network where copyright infringement happens. It’s a complicated issue and much of the law surrounding it is influenced by the people who stand to lose the most money, meaning that it’s Hollywood and the entertainment industry who have pursued legal action against The Pirate Bay for years.
Watch a documentary on the lives of The Pirate Bay founders and the legal battle they’re involved with here, and read their most recent press release below, courtesy of thepiratebay.se:
Today, we filed a police report! :D
The Pirate Bay, the world’s largest site for cultural diversity and file sharing, has today (Monday 2013-02-18) reported a suspected crime to the Finnish police. The suspected criminals are the Finnish anti-piracy organization CIAPC (locally known as TTVK).
The reason is that CIAPC have copied files from which The Pirate Bay is built, to produce a fraudulent parody site.
While The Pirate Bay may have a positive view on copying, it will not stand by and watch copyright enforcing organizations disrespect copyright.
– It’s funny that we have to teach the copyright lobby the meaning of the law. The fact that they wrote it doesn’t mean that they are above it, says Winston Bay.
CIAPC is not new to balancing on the edge of what’s right and wrong. Last year, they initiated a police raid against a 9 year old girl and confiscated her Winnie the Pooh laptop.
– CIAPC is like an ugly high school bully without friends. It’s time to take a stand. Cyber bullying is a serious matter to us all, Winston Bay continues.
The money that CIAPC might have to pay for this crime will however not end up at The Pirate Bay.
– Our hearts are with the victimized 9 year old Finnish girl. Any money that might come out of this will fund a new computer for the girl.
Facts:
The Pirate Bay is the world’s largest file sharing site.
It ranks as the world’s 58th largest site.
Since its launch in 2003, it has maintained a strong stance for internet freedom and against censorship.
It is run by dozens of individuals from all around the world, all with the same values of liberty, kopimi and progressiveness.
