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Pirate Bay Trial Ends In Jail Sentences

Posted by timothy on from the even-non-commercial-use dept.

myvirtualid writes "The Globe and Mail reports that the Pirate Bay defendants were each sentenced Friday to one year in jail. According to the article, 'Judge Tomas Norstrom told reporters that the court took into account that the site was "commercially driven" when it made the ruling. The defendants have denied any commercial motives behind the site.' The defendants said before the verdict that they would appeal if they were found guilty. 'Stay calm — Nothing will happen to TPB, us personally or file sharing whatsoever. This is just a theater for the media,' Mr. Sunde said Friday in a posting on social networking site Twitter." Update: 04/17 12:16 GMT by T : Several updates, below. Thanks to all the readers who have sent in various other links related to this news, including the dozens who noted the BBC's version of the story. Reader a_n_d_e_r_s submits a link to the verdict itself (large PDF, in Swedish), and writes "The sentencing is not unexpected (max verdict is 2 years in prison) and the damages is about 1/3 of what the companies that has requested damages had requested. Notice that no punitive damages is applicable." Reader yendor writes, "More details are coming and The Pirate Bay will be holding a press conference at 15.00 CET.

HakanRoswallGoatse points out that besides the jail term imposed (and barring the results of planned appeals), "the four men will have to pay $3,6 million in compensation for lost sales to 17 media companies. Among them are: Warner Bros. Entertainment, MGM Pictures, Columbia Pictures Industries, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Sony BMG, Universal, EMI, Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment, and Activision."

7 of 1,870 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Usenet by badfish99 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The first rule of Usenet is: you do not talk about Usenet.

  2. Google by Thanshin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Damn! Now all TPB users will have to use Google to find their torrents.

    And then Google will fall too and...

  3. Snrk... by 800DeadCCs · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8003799.stm

    Laughed hard at this:
    "Speaking to the BBC, the chairman of industry body the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) John Kennedy said the verdict sent out a clear message.
    "These guys weren't making a principled stand, they were out to line their own pockets."

    Oh yeah, and he isn't?

  4. Re:Google does the SAME thing, but no one cares. by Luxifer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Search in google "filetype:torrent Wolverine" and see what it gets you.

    why would I do that? I already got it weeks ago off the Pirate Bay.

  5. Re:Judge Norström can suck my dick by Hurricane78 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey. Let's flood the judge with links to google and other search engines, that link to torrents.
    And an occasional goatse / shitting dick-nipple / tubgirl / lemonparty / meatspin montage. ;)

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
  6. Re:The questions that come to mind by ciderVisor · · Score: 4, Funny

    Swedish jails are more like holiday camps anyway.

    I'm a free man and I haven't had a conjugal visit in six months.

    --
    Squirrel!
  7. Re:Let me be the first one to say it ... by torchdragon · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Evil will always win because Good is dumb." -Dark Helmet

    --
    "Don't feel bad for me child; I'm the monster that hides under your bed."