The Pirate Bay (TPB), ExtraTorrent and YTS.ag Now Listed as Top Free Download Alternatives; Torrenting Still Hurting from KickassTorrents, Torrentz Shut Down (Photo : Facebook)
The blockade campaign against The Pirate Bay in Sweden remains alive and kicking as a new report indicates that copyright holders are dead set to appeal a recent Swedish court decision that takes away the legal pressure on Internet service providers or ISPs to actively block the file-sharing site.
The court ruled that Bredbandsbolaget Broadband Company, the largest ISP in Sweden, is not a party to a crime as claimed by the plaintiffs in the case. Citing the existing Swedish law, the court said that "it is not in a position to authorize such a ban as the rights holders want and therefore rejects their request," as reported by TorrentFreak.
The same report identified Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Nordisk Film and the Swedish Film Industry as member of the anti-piracy group looking to take down TPB by forcing Bredbandsbolaget to stop Swedish Internet users from accessing to the site. But as expected, the group is set to appeal the case.
The copyright holders view the ruling as "a serious failing for the Swedish judicial system," and maintain that ISPs have the responsibility to "stop illegal services from reaching Swedish internet users."
According to the group's legal counsel, Henrik Bengtsson, similar efforts have elicited favorable ruling from most European courts. A recent ruling in Germany, for instance, ordered an ISP to block TPB and similar sites.
"Similar legislation already exists in the rest of Scandinavia as well as in much of Europe. We will appeal," Bengtsson told Torrent Freak.
Bredbandsbolaget , however, has expressed confidence that the Swedish Court of Appeal will not overturn the original decision.
"We believe that the Court of Appeal will rule in our favor, and hope that this will put an end to this matter that could otherwise lead to ISPs needing to block more sites in the future," Bredbandsbolaget representative Anna Byström was reported by TorrentFreak as saying in a statement.
Byström also lauded the court for taking the firm view that ISPs are not "accomplices in crimes committed over the Internet," adding that the ruling underpins free speech and an Open Internet.
