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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > SWEDISH PIRATES OUTRAGED OVER NEW ANTI-PIRACY LAW

SWEDISH PIRATES OUTRAGED OVER NEW ANTI-PIRACY LAW

November 2 2008

Stockholm, Sweden – The introduction of a controversial new law that will allow copyright holders to obtain the personal data of potential copyright violators has resulted in pirates all across Sweden throwing down their eye patches in disgust.

The law, part of an EU directive, is designed to allow copyright holders new tools to protect their works. It will allow claimants to acquire data such as IP addresses from violators and in theory allow for criminal prosecution. Sweden, which is home to the infamous Pirate Bay filesharing network, has long had some of the most lax laws in respect to copyright, but all that seems to be changing.

“These laws are written by digital illiterates who behave like blindfolded, drunken elephants trumpeting about in an egg packaging facility.” Said Rick Falkvinge, Chairman of the exciting sounding Pirate Party, a pro-piracy organization “They have no idea how much damage they’re causing, because they lack today’s literacy: an understanding of how the Internet is reshaping the power structures at their core.”

Groups like The Pirate Bay have been taking a proactive approach to overcoming such legislation, but the introduction of the new law in the organization’s home country, which has long protected them from litigious efforts from other countries, may be the biggest battle they have yet fought.

“Many times efforts have been made to shut us down but we fight on. In the truest Viking spirit we fight on and we will continue,” said Peter “broke” Sunde, one of the owners. “We have closed before and reopened and we will continue the fight, whether in Sweden or someplace else.”

The Pirate Bay is the largest BitTorrent tracker in the world with approximately half of all torrents being tracked by the organization at any given time. The website owners have vowed to fight the law, and may now have the support of yet another pirate organization.

“The Swedish government has taken it upon themselves to fight piracy the world over and we will fight back. One thing Pirates do not do is take things lying down,” said Arnborg Bergstrom of the pirate vessel Týr. “We have taken ship after ship and we will take the Swedish government if needed.”

Bergstrom claims to have conquered more than thirty vessels this year, making them one of the most successful of all ships off Scandinavian shores.
“Like our land locked brothers we will fight until our dying breath,” continued Bergstrom. “We will not relent and we will not perish. The high seas are free.”

The law of course was intended to focus on copyright piracy, and Swedish officials are concerned that they have invoked the wrath of actual pirates with the introduction of the new law.

“This is not what was meant. We are attempting to give copyright holders better tools to protect their rights, not start fights,” said a spokesperson for the Swedish government. “We will push through on the law and will enforce it regardless of the consequences. We are not overly concerned about pirates. If they were Vikings we might be a little more concerned, but Pirates we can handle.”

The law is expected to go into effect April 2009, provided no one steals it.

Emil Uliya, International Correspondent

NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > SWEDISH PIRATES OUTRAGED OVER NEW ANTI-PIRACY LAW

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