Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Italy May Hold Its Own Pirate Bay Trial

Posted by timothy on from the keeping-up-with-the-johannsens dept.

hyanakin writes with an excerpt from TorrentFreak: "Following the Swedish verdict, Italy is now considering starting its own trial against the people involved with The Pirate Bay. This would be the first criminal prosecution against the Pirate Bay 'founders' outside their home country." Funny thing: almost 20 years ago, CD stores in Germany all seemed to be full of bootleg concert CDs pressed in Italy.

20 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Jurisdiction? by rts008 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    FTFA:

    According to Sunde's lawyers, one of the issues still under discussion is whether the evidence collected by the Swedish authorities is legal or not. Thus far, the only binding jurisdiction with regard to The Pirate Bay is that the Italian blocking order was absolutely unlawful under criminal law.

    Nevertheless, the entertainment industry is one step ahead and already thinking about how they will divide the booty. Simona Lavagnini, one of the lawyers representing the Italian music industry said that it is not very realistic to expect the defendants to be extradited to Italy, but she believes that fines and a seizure of assets belong to the possibilities.

    Are the Italians going to invade other countries to seize these assets? Does TPB even have any assets in Italyto be seized?

    This sounds like another 'me too' bullshit stunt to me.

    --
    Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
    1. Re:Jurisdiction? by Cromac · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you were the Italian government wouldn't you rather go after 4 guys running a website than the mafia?

    2. Re:Jurisdiction? by nurb432 · · Score: 3, Informative

      With the WTO they have some power to reach out of their countries borders.

      Extradition has happened in other cases too.

      its BS if you ask me, but im not running the show.

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    3. Re:Jurisdiction? by samriel · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The servers, AFAIK last, were spread around the world, with lots of them in Egypt and the Netherlands. There are surely more... I don't doubt that there is at least one server in every Eastern European country.

      /serbian pirates ftw?
      //citation needed

    4. Re:Jurisdiction? by Shin-LaC · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What the hell?

      1) The government is constantly going after the mafia. There was a high-profile arrest just four days ago, the head of the Bidognetti clan of the camorra (the mafia of Naples).

      2) In Italy, the government runs the police, but it has no control over the judiciary. Zero. Whether there is a Pirate Bay trial in Italy is completely outside the government's control.

      3) The judiciary hasn't said that they want to do such a trial, either. All TFA (and its source) say is that the president of the Italian Music Industry Federation "expects" that the prosecution will seek a trial several months from now. There are no facts, just speculations from the Italian equivalent of the RIAA.

      Are you enjoying being a prejudiced jerk?

    5. Re:Jurisdiction? by rts008 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Okay, I am from the USA, so I know how the RIAA works here...but...

      I understand the $3500/suit you mention, but I do not understand how Italy thinks it has a chance at getting any of this money.
      This is what I was talking about when I said it was a 'me too' stunt.
      All 'fluff, smoke, and mirrors' to further an agenda...I do not know enough about Italian politics to be sure...but I'm just suspicious....

      I truly do not understand the connection of how 'each up-loader' is worth *3500 to the Italian Gov't.
      Is Italy 'bowing down' that hard to the USA?(not meant as a flame-I am truly ignorant here)

      Can 'up-loader' Ip's and logs make a difference if the server is not 'in country'?

      What am I missing here?

      --
      Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
    6. Re:Jurisdiction? by unauthorized · · Score: 2, Funny

      If you were the Italian government wouldn't you rather go after 4 guys running a website than the mafia?

      The Italian government is not the mafia? My view of the world has been shattered!

    7. Re:Jurisdiction? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This is plain false! ALL the TVs talks good of the premier, except Rai 3. Rete 4 is totally prone. Amongst the major newspapers there are one that is on the opposition side while the others, that need the support of the public money, hence of the government, to survive, are from neutral to completely ass-licking.

    8. Re:Jurisdiction? by mirkob · · Score: 2, Interesting

      the newspapers aren't widely readed in italy.

      and the majority are much aligned with a political party.

      so even who read something read usually a journal already aligned with his ideas...

      rarely berlusca fans read journals not preaching him, and the majority simply see his TV...

      a sad situation of 30 milion+ gullible ignorants...

  2. Stupidity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The problem with people is stupidity, isn't it?

    Watch out Google, you're next!

  3. How... by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How can they be tried in Italy? That doesn't make any sense unless the founders A) Lived in Italy B) Had Itallian bank accounts or other finances C) Did (physical) business in Italy with a physical presence.

    Really, this doesn't make any sense.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    1. Re:How... by TheSpoom · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Thank you, this is exactly what I was thinking.

      My guess is that they believe that because it happens "over the internet" (duh-duh-DUH!) it's an international issue and that they may be able to get them extradited. Which, y'know, is stupid, but then, that's government for you.

      --
      It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
      - E. Debs
    2. Re:How... by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      But that doesn't make any sense either, because then you could get sued for a situation like this:

      A) Create a website that violates some law in one country that is part of the EU, such as distributing Nazi texts which (as far as I know) is illegal in Germany, but legal in some EU nations such as the UK (where they actually have some shell of freedom of speech)

      B) The website is hosted in a legal country such as the UK and all maintainers of it live, work, and have all financial ties in the UK

      C) Germany brings charges against you

      That just doesn't make any sense (not that most governments do), and seems contrary to having independent nation's laws rather then general EU laws.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    3. Re:How... by ElectricRook · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I guess these people would do well to avoid traveling to Italy

      and avoid traveling to anywhere with an extradition treaty with Italy.

      So now do we have to stand trial in each of 190 countries for violating someone's sensibilities on the internet?

      --
      - High Tech workers, please say NO to Union Carpenters, their Union sees fit to control our compensation.
  4. Anyone else see a plot for a new action film.... by syousef · · Score: 5, Funny

    He was a pirate...his father was a Swedish pirate, his mother an Italian beauty...now he faces his greatest challenge.

    *queue music*

    *fade in* RIAA *fade out*

    *fade in* MPAA *fade out*

    *queue fast drum music*

    *flash quickly in time ot music to lots of scenes of kids downloading crap from their bedrooms and basements*

    Okay maybe not an action film...

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  5. Those Bootlegs Were Legal by Telephone+Sanitizer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    > Funny thing: almost 20 years ago, CD stores in Germany all
    > seemed to be full of bootleg concert CDs pressed in Italy.

    In fact, it was perfectly legal to record a live concert and sell the recording from Italy if the bootlegger opened a bank account and deposited a royalty for the artist.

    There was even an official stamp issued to those bootleggers who registered with the Italian Authors Society.

  6. Re:Will it be held in Naples? by genner · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Neapolitans have a bit of a reputation for taking things that aren't theirs

    Is that how they got 3 diffrent flavours in their ice cream?

  7. For when they enter Italy...? by Kidbro · · Score: 2, Informative

    While it is wholly ridiculous to believe that this would have any real effect on the TBP people while they resided in Sweden, it may or may not give Italian authorities cause to intervene if any of them ever visited Italy.

    If they did, they would not be the first country to do so.

    --
    May we live long and die out
  8. LOL @ .it domains by wulfmans · · Score: 4, Funny

    I admin an IRC server and the country that is always using the !List command the most is Italy (95% of the time). I am sure you all know that !list is how you trigger a fserv on IRC. What are they looking for you ask? WAREZ !!! It's gotta be a joke they would consider having a trial.

  9. Lesson Learned by nurb432 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    While you may be right, its time to take all this back underground.

    What you cant see you cant sue/stop/fight.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----