The four representatives of Swedish torrent site the Pirate Bay who are currently on trial in Sweden for assisting copyright infringement don't seem to be particularly bothered by their predicament. If they did suddenly display contrition in front of the world's media, with tears of apology running down their cheeks, you could guarantee it would be merely hammed up sarcasm; the five years they have been running the site have been littered with spats with copyright holders, where cease and desist orders have been publicised, mocked, pilloried and replied to with flicked V-signs and tongues cheekily poked out. Swedish law has, thus far, failed to prosecute anyone for merely linking to illegally posted content, and it's this precedent that the Pirate Bay are relying on. They don't host any content; its users do. They just host an empty shell. And they believe that the Swedish legal system is still ill-equipped to deal with a case dealing with modern methods of media distribution.( Read more... )