US denies Sweden file sharing threat
p2p news / p2pnet: Did the Bush administration threaten Sweden with economic sanctions if it didn’t do a number on file sharing?
No, insists the US embassy in Stockholm.
“On Wednesday, Sweden’s opposition parties demanded an explanation from the government over claims by SVT, Sweden’s public broadcaster, that last month’s police raids, which temporarily shut down the popular site Pirate Bay, were preceded by US pressure and heavy lobbying from American interest groups,” says Radio Sweden.
It quotes American embassy PR person Robert Hilton as telling the Associated Press, “The Unites States has not taken any action, or threatened to take action against Sweden with the World Trade Organization. Instead, we seek to work together to protect these important assets, properties and copyrights that are the work of our citizens.”
‘Welcome an investigation’
Meanwhile, entertainment industry representatives aren’t lobbyists, they’re “crime victims,” says the country’s chief prosecutor, Sven-Erik Alhem.
Swedish justice minister Thomas Bodström says he’d welcome an investigation into allegations that police raids against file-sharing site The Pirate Bay following threats of sanctions from the US, says The Local, going on:
“Bodström denied that politicians had attempted to direct police operations, and refuted the accusations that American officials had threatened Sweden.
” ‘Sure, we’ve been criticized from the United States, in the same way that we have criticized Thailand and China in questions of copyright. But we have made it very clear that we never go in and direct individual cases,’ he told news agency TT.
“Bodström was reacting to accusations that the Justice Department had tried to influence HÃ¥kan Roswall, the prosecutor leading the case against The Pirate Bay.
Parliamentarians Tasso Stafilidis of the Left Party, Johan Linander of the Centre Party and Gustaf Fridolin of the Green Party have demanded that the Committee on the Constitution investigate whether Bodström had improperly tried to direct operational police matters, says the story.
Roswall says he doesn’t feel he was, “subjected to political pressure when he met two Justice Department officials on April 7th,” states The Local, which has him declaring:
“My judgment was that they had a duty to inform me why copyright offences were to be made a higher priority, that is to say because it was a question of national interest. But nothing was said about what I was expected to do, or how, or why. They are quite simply not capable of telling me how to investigate this kind of offence.”
The meeting was preceded by a conference in Washington DC, “regarding file sharing, financed by the American Embassy and the Swedish government, but Roswall says he did not take part,” says The Local, adding:
“He claims it would have been unsuitable, as the conference would be attended by ‘lobbyists’.
“Chief prosecutor Sven-Erik Alhem did attend the conference together with another prosecutor and police representatives. Alhem defines the entertainment industry representatives not as lobbyists but as ‘crime victims’.”
In the nonce, Hollywood’s best (or worst, depending on your point of view) efforts notwithstanding, it’s business as usual for TPB, which is once again sailing from its home port in Sweden, complete with a nice new figurehead ; )
And back online is its much-loved Legal Threats section.
In News for our non Swedish speaking friends, TBP blogs:
As many of you already know the raid on us were ordered by the retractable baton lovers at MPAA. This has been a pretty big issue on the swedish news lately. Since many of our foreign friends have requested translated news, some nice people have now made some subtitles.
Find the torrent here: http://thepiratebay.org/details.php?id=3497223
In Sweden it is considered very important that the politicians do not interfere with certain cases of police work. So you might understand why people here are so pissed off about Bush, MPAA, fucking Tom Cruise or whoever it was being behind this big sabotage against The Pirate Bay.
Digg this story.
Also See:
Radio Sweden - Pirate Bay Row Continues, June 22, 2006
The Local - Bodström welcomes interference probe, June 21, 200
business as usual - The Pirate Bay back online, June 3, 2006
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June 22nd, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Roswall says he doesn’t feel he was, “subjected to political pressure when he met two Justice Department officials on April 7th,” states The Local, which has him declaring:
right… just a big old knife to your throat im sure… no threats though
June 22nd, 2006 at 8:06 pm
“Instead, we seek to work together to protect these important assets, properties and copyrights that are the work of our citizens.”
Should have said…
… are the work of our citizens but that belongs to the corporations that control our culture.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:16 pm
The United States government has no credibility and is a renowned liar.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:39 pm
Much the point I was about to make. It’s seems only a matter of time until corporations can vote - not that they don’t already interfere in the political arena.