Copyright Law

Swedish Minister Blasted for Applauding Outcome of The Pirate Bay Trial

By DrewWilson

The guilty verdict of The Pirate Bay happened well over a month ago, but the controversy surrounding the outcome of the initial trial keeps on coming. Recently, a Swedish minister applauded the guilty verdict, a comment that the Pirate Party of Sweden denounced.

A report from a Swedish news source, SVD, reports (Google translated) that during a dinner at The Swedish composers of popular music (The creators), Culture Minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth had made some controversial comments surrounding the politically sensitive issue of the guilty verdict of The Pirate Bay.

“This is perhaps not appreciated by some,” said the minister, “but I was one of those who expressed his pleasure over the ruling in Pirate Bay case”

Not a surprise that there were some that saw these remarks as something that was better left unsaid.

The Pirate Party of Sweden quickly denounced (Google translation) the comments:

- It is completely up the walls to a minister interfering in a trial. She should ask the guys behind The Pirate Bay sorry, “says Christian Engström, Vice-President of Piratpartiet and a candidate in European elections.

- Everyone is entitled to a free and fair trial, and it is not a minister go out and talk to hot for a conviction in a controversial goal.

Piratpartiet would strongly condemn the statement made by Minister of Culture and fear that this means that the court of appeal decision may be affected.

- To a ministerial statement in this way on a case not yet closed is a scandal. Ministers should not interfere in individual cases, “says Christian Engström.

In other words, given that the trial is currently undergoing an appeals process, the Pirate Party is demanding an apology for those comments. It is a really bad idea for political figures to influence the outcome of a trial.

Already, many have pointed out that the trial could very easily affect the outcome of the EU elections. A more recent poll suggested that the Pirate Party could very easily win a seat in the EU elections - though other polls suggested that more than one seat would be won by the Pirate Party.

Currently, the trial is being appealed on the basis that the initial judge was biased given his connections with the copyright lobby in Sweden. A co-founder of The Pirate Bay is currently demanding a fair trial.

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Full post as published by ZeroPaid on May 28, 2009 (boomark / email).