Peter Sunde

{{Infobox person

| name = Peter Sunde

| image = Peter sunde close up.jpg

| caption = Sunde in 2009

| birth_name = Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|09|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Uddevalla, Sweden

| other_names = brokep

| party = Pirate

| known_for = Co-founder of The Pirate Bay
Founder of Flattr
Co-founder of Kvittar
Co-founder of IPredator
Founder of Njalla

| occupation = Politician, spokesperson

}}

Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi (born 13 September 1978), alias brokep, is a Swedish entrepreneur and politician. He is best known for being a co-founder and ex-spokesperson of The Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent search engine.{{cite news|first=Joakim|last=Thorkildsen|title=Norske Peter tiltalt i The Pirate Bay-saken|url=http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2008/01/31/525530.html|work=Dagbladet|date=2008-01-31|access-date=2008-06-29|language=no|archive-date=15 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515134133/http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2008/01/31/525530.html|url-status=live}} He is an equality advocate and has expressed concerns over issues of centralization of power to the European Union in his blog.{{cite web|url=http://blog.brokep.com/2013/05/14/eup-2014/|title=EUP 2014 – Copy me happy|website=blog.brokep.com|access-date=7 January 2018|archive-date=21 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521101843/https://blog.brokep.com/2013/05/14/eup-2014/|url-status=dead}} Sunde also participates in the Pirate Party of Finland and describes himself as a socialist.{{cite news | title=Pirate Bay Founder Peter Sunde: I have given up | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pirate-bay-founder-peter-sunde-i-have-given-up/ | date=11 December 2015 | work=Motherboard | last=Mollen | first=Joost | access-date=16 April 2017 | archive-date=17 May 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517133226/https://www.vice.com/en/article/qkjpbd/pirate-bay-founder-peter-sunde-i-have-given-up | url-status=live }} In April 2017, Sunde founded Njalla, a privacy oriented domain name registrar, hosting provider and VPN provider.{{Cite news|url=https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-launches-anonymous-domain-registration-service-170419/|title=Pirate Bay Founder Launches Anonymous Domain Registration Service – TorrentFreak|date=2017-04-19|work=TorrentFreak|access-date=2017-04-21|language=en-US|archive-date=17 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517133307/https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-launches-anonymous-domain-registration-service-170419/|url-status=live}}

Personal life

Sunde is of Norwegian and Finnish ancestry.{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Kuprijanko |title=Jag känner inte att jag gör något fel |url=http://sydsvenskan.se/kultur-och-nojen/article411399/Jag-kanner-inte-att-jag-gor-nagot-fel.html |work=Sydsvenskan |date=2009-02-07 |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410032044/http://sydsvenskan.se/kultur-och-nojen/article411399/Jag-kanner-inte-att-jag-gor-nagot-fel.html |archive-date=10 April 2009}}{{cite news | title=Countdown to Pirate Bay verdict | work=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8002171.stm | access-date=20 April 2009 | date=16 April 2009 | first=Darren | last=Waters | archive-date=30 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530003030/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8002171.stm | url-status=live }} Before the founding of the Pirate Bay, Sunde worked for Siemens. In 2003, he became a member of Sweden's Piratbyrån (The Pirate Bureau) and a few months later Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfrid Svartholm started The Pirate Bay with Sunde as the spokesperson.{{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-founding-group-piratbyran-disbands-100623/ |title=Pirate Bay's Founding Group 'Piratbyrån' Disbands |publisher=TorrentFreak |date=2010-06-23 |access-date=2012-02-03 |archive-date=28 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628020616/https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-founding-group-piratbyran-disbands-100623/ |url-status=live }} He remained The Pirate Bay's spokesperson until late 2009 (three years after the ownership of the site transferred to Reservella). In August 2011, Sunde and fellow Pirate Bay co-founder Fredrik Neij launched file-sharing site BayFiles, that aimed to legally share.{{cite web |url=http://www.tomsguide.com/us/The-Pirate-Bay-Bayfiles-Dropbox-Peter-Sunde-Fredrik-Neij,news-12362.html |title=Pirate Bay Founders Launch "Legal" File-Sharing Site |publisher=Tomsguide.com |date=2011-08-31 |access-date=2012-02-03 |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517133334/https://www.tomsguide.com/tag/security |url-status=live }} Sunde is vegan{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2009/02/pirate_wednesda/|title=Pirate Bay Crew Chums Up to Foes Over Lunch|magazine=WIRED|date=18 February 2009|access-date=7 January 2018}} and speaks Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, English and German.

Peter Sunde ran for European Parliament in 2014 election with the Pirate Party of Finland.{{cite web|url=https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-cofounder-to-run-for-european-parliament-130514/|title=Pirate Bay Co-Founder to Run For European Parliament|website=TorrentFreak|date=14 May 2013|first=Ernesto|last=Van der Sar|access-date=7 January 2018|archive-date=17 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517133309/https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-cofounder-to-run-for-european-parliament-130514/|url-status=live}}

On 31 May 2014, just days after the EU elections and exactly eight years after the police raided The Pirate Bay servers, Sunde was arrested at a farm in Oxie, Malmö to serve his prison sentence for the Pirate Bay case.{{cite web|url=https://revolution-news.com/pirate-bay-spokesperson-peter-sunde-arrested-sweden/|title=The Pirate Bay Spokesperson Peter Sunde Arrested in Sweden|website=Revolution News|first=Jennifer|last=Baker|date=31 May 2014|access-date=7 January 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423131436/https://revolution-news.com/pirate-bay-spokesperson-peter-sunde-arrested-sweden/|archive-date=23 April 2016|df=dmy-all}} He was released five months later after having served two-thirds of his eight-month sentence.{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/11/pirate-bay-co-founder-peter-sunde-freed-after-8-months-in-prison/|title=Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde freed after 5 months in prison|website=Ars Technica|first=Cyrus|last=Farivar|date=10 November 2014|access-date=7 January 2018|archive-date=17 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517133334/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/11/pirate-bay-co-founder-peter-sunde-freed-after-8-months-in-prison/|url-status=live}}

The Pirate Bay trial

On 31 January 2008, The Pirate Bay operators – Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm and Carl Lundström (CEO of The Pirate Bay's former ISP) – were charged with "assisting [others in] copyright infringement".{{cite magazine|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/pirate-bay-futu.html|title=Pirate Bay Future Uncertain After Operators Busted|magazine=Wired|access-date=7 January 2018|last1=Kravets|first1=David|archive-date=20 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420051728/http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/pirate-bay-futu.html|url-status=live}} The trial began on 16 February 2009. On 17 April 2009, in Stockholm District Court, Sunde and his co-defendants were judged guilty of "assisting in making copyright content available". Each defendant was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay damages of 30 million SEK (approximately €2,740,900 or US$3,620,000), to be apportioned among the four defendants.{{cite web|url=http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-trial-the-verdict-090417/|title=The Pirate Bay Trial: The Official Verdict – Guilty – TorrentFreak|date=17 April 2009|access-date=7 January 2018|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203134925/https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-trial-the-verdict-090417/|url-status=live}} After the verdict a press conference was held where Sunde held up a handwritten IOU statement claiming that is all the damages he will pay, adding "Even if I had any money I would rather burn everything I own and not even give them the ashes. They could have the job of picking them up. That's how much I hate the media industry."{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/apr/17/pirate-bay-verdict-peter-sunder-kolmisoppi-online-press-conference | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jemima | last=Kiss | title=Pirate Bay defendant: we can't and won't pay | date=17 April 2009 | access-date=17 December 2016 | archive-date=17 May 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517133225/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/apr/17/pirate-bay-verdict-peter-sunder-kolmisoppi-online-press-conference | url-status=live }}

The defendants' lawyers appealed to the Svea Court of Appeal together with a request for a retrial in the district court claiming bias on the part of judge Tomas Norström.{{cite news |date=2009-04-23 |title=Pirate Bay lawyer calls for retrial |url=http://www.thelocal.se/19028/20090423/ |publisher=The Local |access-date=26 April 2009 |archive-date=24 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724023631/http://www.thelocal.se/19028/20090423/ |url-status=live }} The court ruled there was no bias and denied the request for a retrial.

On appeal, the jail sentences were reduced, but the damages increased.

The supreme court of Sweden subsequently refused to hear any further appeal.

The European Court of Human Rights also later rejected an appeal.[http://www.thelawyer.com/briefings/the-european-court-of-human-rights-rejects-pirate-bay-file-sharing-appeal/3004221.article "The European Court of Human Rights rejects Pirate Bay file-sharing appeal"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314162725/http://www.thelawyer.com/briefings/the-european-court-of-human-rights-rejects-pirate-bay-file-sharing-appeal/3004221.article |date=14 March 2014 }}

Segments of an interview with Sunde talking about copyright, the Internet, and culture are featured in the 2007 documentary Steal This Film and 2013 documentary TPB AFK.

The early days of The Pirate Bay, along with the trial, are the basis for the 2024 series The Pirate Bay, with the role of Peter Sunde played by actor Simon Gregor Carlsson. The series was broadcast on the SVT network, a public television network funded by Swedish taxpayers, modelled on the BBC.

Flattr

Flattr was a micropayments system started by Sunde and Linus Olsson, which enabled viewers of websites to make small donations to the developer by clicking a "Flattr this" button. At the time of the projects's announcement in February 2010, Sunde explained that "the money you pay each month will be spread evenly among the buttons you click in a month. We want to encourage people to share money as well as content."{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8512263.stm |publisher=BBC News |title=Pirate boss to make the web pay |date=12 February 2010 |access-date=22 May 2010 |archive-date=8 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308060547/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8512263.stm |url-status=live }} Flattr itself took a 10% administration fee.

After WikiLeaks' initial publication of the U.S. Diplomatic Cables, companies including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and Moneybookers blocked donations and money transfers to the site. Flattr, however, continued allowing donations to WikiLeaks.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Nicholas |date=2010-12-08 |title=Small Startup Keeps Cash Flowing to WikiLeaks |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/small-startup-keeps-cash-flowing-to-wikileaks/67681/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517134514/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/small-startup-keeps-cash-flowing-to-wikileaks/67681/ |url-status=live }} Sunde commented "We [Flattr] think their work is exactly what is needed and if we can help just a little bit, we will."{{cite web |url=http://www.ktradionetwork.com/tag/peter-sunde-kolmisoppi/ |title=Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi : Kevin Trudeau Show |publisher=Ktradionetwork.com |date=2010-08-23 |access-date=2012-02-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330091836/http://www.ktradionetwork.com/tag/peter-sunde-kolmisoppi/ |archive-date=30 March 2012}}

On 5 April 2017, Adblock Plus publisher Eyeo GmbH announced that it had acquired Flattr for an undisclosed amount.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/05/adblock-plus-acquires-flattr/|title=The company behind Adblock Plus is acquiring micropayment service Flattr|last=Ha|first=Anthony|website=TechCrunch|date=5 April 2017|access-date=2017-04-22|archive-date=17 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517134309/https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/05/adblock-plus-acquires-flattr/|url-status=live}}

Hemlis

On 9 July 2013, Peter Sunde, together with Leif Högberg and Linus Olsson, announced a fundraising campaign for Hemlis.{{cite web|url=https://hemlismessenger.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/hello-world-we-are-fundraising/|title=Hello world! We are fundraising!|website=Hemlis blog|access-date=22 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422181904/https://hemlismessenger.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/hello-world-we-are-fundraising/|archive-date=22 April 2015}} Their goal was to launch a mass market messenger that was secure and private.{{cite web|url=https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-announces-encrypted-nsa-proof-communication-apps-130710/|title=Pirate Bay Founder to Launch NSA-proof Messenger App – TorrentFreak|date=10 July 2013|access-date=7 January 2018|archive-date=14 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214204343/https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-announces-encrypted-nsa-proof-communication-apps-130710/|url-status=live}}

On 22 April 2015, the Hemlis team announced that they were discontinuing the development of the Hemlis messaging platform.{{cite web|url=https://hemlismessenger.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/sometimes-you-understand/|title=Sometimes you understand|website=Hemlis blog|access-date=22 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422181434/https://hemlismessenger.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/sometimes-you-understand/|archive-date=22 April 2015}}

Kopimashin

On 14 December 2015, Sunde released a video{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/148955816 |title=KH000//Kopimashin |date=14 December 2015 |access-date=25 December 2015}} on his Vimeo account of a device called "Kopimashin", a machine made with a Raspberry Pi running a Python routine to produce 100 copies per second of Gnarls Barkley's single "Crazy", redirecting the copies to /dev/null (where the data is discarded), surpassing eight million copies per day.

The following day, Sunde published the full description of the device and project at Konsthack as the first art project of the site's portfolio.{{cite web |url=http://konsthack.se/portfolio/kh000-kopimashin/ |title=Konsthack > Portfolio > KH000 // Kopimashin |date=15 December 2015 |access-date=25 December 2015 |archive-date=25 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225072125/http://konsthack.se/portfolio/kh000-kopimashin/ |url-status=dead }}

The machine has an LCD screen (as shown in the video) that calculates a running tally of the damages it has supposedly inflicted upon the record industry through its use, accordingly to what RIAA claims on their website.{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php?content_selector=piracy_details_online |title=RIAA > Piracy Online > Who Music Theft Hurts |website=Recording Industry Association of America |access-date=25 December 2015}} If RIAA's claims were valid, it also meant that the record industry would soon become bankrupt as a result of Kopimashin,{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php?content_selector=piracy-online-scope-of-the-problem |title=RIAA > Piracy Online > Scope of the Problem |website=Recording Industry Association of America |access-date=25 December 2015 |archive-date=4 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204154956/https://www.riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php?content_selector=piracy-online-scope-of-the-problem |url-status=live }} a claim the project seeks to disprove with a physical example.

A few days later, Sunde told news site TorrentFreak that Kopimashin was created to "show the absurdity on the process of putting a value to a copy", and that "putting a price to a copy is futile."{{cite web |url=https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-builds-the-ultimate-piracy-machine-151219 |title=Pirate Bay Founder Builds the Ultimate Piracy Machine |date=19 December 2015 |access-date=25 December 2015 |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517134402/https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-builds-the-ultimate-piracy-machine-151219/ |url-status=live }}

A similar project called "Strata Kazika" was already launched by Polish activists in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://tech.wp.pl/strata-kazika-czyli-jak-ukrasc-86-milionow-zlotych-6034894984922241a|title=Strata Kazika, czyli jak ukraść 86 milionów złotych|last=S.A|first=Wirtualna Polska Media|date=2012-08-28|website=tech.wp.pl|language=pl|access-date=2020-03-11|archive-date=17 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517134313/https://tech.wp.pl/strata-kazika-czyli-jak-ukrasc-86-milionow-zlotych,6034894984922241a|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://natemat.pl/28953,tworca-straty-kazika-dosc-szantazu-moralnego-w-przemysle-muzycznym-piractwo-to-zdrowa-kultura|title=Twórca "Straty Kazika": Dość szantażu moralnego w przemyśle muzycznym, piractwo to zdrowa kultura|website=naTemat.pl|language=PL-pl|access-date=2020-03-11|archive-date=17 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517134310/https://natemat.pl/28953,tworca-straty-kazika-dosc-szantazu-moralnego-w-przemysle-muzycznym-piractwo-to-zdrowa-kultura|url-status=live}}

References

External links

{{Official website}}
[http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_2438651.svd The Story Of The Pirate Bay] {{in lang|sv}}
[https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/02/peter-sunde/ "It’s Evolution, Stupid"] Peter Sunde (Co-Founder, The Pirate Bay) – Wired, Column (02/10/2012)