Slashdot Mirror
Sweden Launches Criminal Probe of Pirate Bay Sale
uolamer writes with word that the Economic Crimes Bureau in Sweden has opened an investigation into the upcoming purchase of The Pirate Bay by Global Gaming Factory X. Quoting:
"The Swedish newspaper SvD reported Saturday that authorities are looking for possible insider trading after Global Gaming's stock jumped a week before they announced plans to acquire The Pirate Bay. Trading of Global Gaming shares was halted by AktieTorget, a Swedish exchange, on Friday after officials there requested proof that Global Gaming had enough money to complete the sale. Global Gaming has yet to produce the required documentation. Until officials get the proof they need, they said they won't allow the stock to be traded again."
"They're buying the name in hopes of turning it into a legit operation. Umm.. good luck with that."
Actually, I'm sort of cheering for them. I don't hold out much hope, but I'm cheering all the same. Go ahead, ask me "WHY?" Well, since you asked, I'll tell you!
Bit Torrent is nothing more, and nothing less, than a protocol. It shouldn't have a legal status, or an illegal status, any more than verbally enunciating ideas should have a legal status. No form of communication should be make illegal.
If these people can actually make torrents work for a legal, reputable company, then we have less to fear from ISP's throttling or even stopping torrents. We, the WWW of internet users, NEED someone to adopt this technological protocol to lend it credibility. More generally, P2P needs to be recognized as an acceptable means of communications. As things stand right now, if you and your family & freinds are amateur photographers, and you have extensive libraries that you like to share between your households, the ISP can claim that you are all pirates, and shut you down.
Yes, we need this.
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
The story as I understand it:
Business model: Arrange the free distribution of other people's intellectual property.
Company name: Don't hide the business model. Call it "Pirate" Bay.
Operation: Facilitate the distribution of pirated software, for years.
Income: Sell advertising to companies that are not concerned about the business model. Make $3,000,000 U.S. per year.
Arrange a sale of the company: Sale of what?
The story today: The Swedish government investigates possible illegal activity by the buyer.
The discussion today: We're discussing possible illegal activity by the buyer.
World of Wacrarft already uses bitorrent to handle updates. No ISP would block it outright so long as that's the case.
And yet Comcast did exactly that...
Some days I get the sinking feeling Orwell was an optimist.