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Pirate Bay Founders Acquitted In Belgium

Posted by Soulskill on from the not-guilty-of-internetular-songslaughter dept.

An anonymous reader writes: A Belgian court has acquitted Pirate Bay co-founders Peter Sunde, Gottfrid Svartholm, Fredrik Neij, and Carl Lundström of criminal copyright infringement charges. They created the site in 2003, and were found guilty of similar charges in Sweden in 2009. The men have had continued legal problems since then, and one such case arose in Belgium for alleged copyright crimes committed between September, 2011 and November, 2013. However, since the founders have had nothing to do with the site since 2006, the prosecution couldn't make its case.

4 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. Doesn't matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Constant legal harassment and a barrage of law suits is enough to make their life miserable, so it's not necessary to actually judge them guilty. That's how the modern system works.

  2. CopyCrime by devloop · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So what should be a simple CIVIL case of COPYRIGHT *INFRINGEMENT* is a criminal case?
    Should We also have Two Minute Piracyhate be mandatory at schools to indoctrinate future generations and prevent these hideous copycrimes?

  3. What a pity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    The nation of Belgium has gravely displeased the Great Lord President Barack Hussein Obama, sovereign over the whole planet and regent of the universe. The history of Belgium is sadly about to come to a fiery end.

  4. Ne bis in idem? by CanEHdian · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What's going on here? First you try them in Sweden, then you try them in Belgium, next in France? Just when you think the powers behind the MPAA/RIAA couldn't sink any lower...

    --
    When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.