The Pirate Bay trial

{{main|The Pirate Bay|The Pirate Bay raid}}

The Pirate Bay is a Swedish website that indexes and tracks BitTorrent files. It bills itself as "the galaxy's largest BitTorrent tracker"{{cite web|access-date=1 October 2008|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/31/business/pirate.php|title=Swedes charge 4 in case involving copyright infringement of music and films |work=International Herald Tribune|date=31 January 2008|author=Pfanner, Eric }} and is ranked as the 73rd most popular website by Alexa Internet.{{cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details/thepiratebay.org/|title=Thepiratebay.org – The Pirate Bay|publisher=Alexa Internet|access-date=1 October 2008|archive-date=19 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419071454/http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/thepiratebay.org|url-status=dead}} The website is funded primarily with advertisements shown next to torrent listings. Initially established in September 2003 by the Swedish anti-copyright organization Piratbyrån ("The Piracy Bureau") it has been operating as a separate organization since October 2004.File:Piratdemonstration vid Mynttorget - 03 - 2006-06-03 (gabbe).jpg

On 31 May 2006 the Swedish police organized a raid on The Pirate Bay in 12 different premises,{{cite news |last=Nilsson |first=David |title=Bevisen: Mejl och fakturor |date=16 February 2009 |work=Aftonbladet |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article4428662.ab |language=sv }} confiscating 186 servers{{cite news |date=2 April 2007 |title=Police cleared of wrongdoing in Pirate Bay raid |url=http://www.thelocal.se/6882/20070402/ |work=The Local }}[http://www.riksdagen.se/Webbnav/index.aspx?nid=3451&rm=2007/08&bet=JO1&typ=frsrdg Redogörelse 2007/08:JO1 - Justitieombudsmännens ämbetsberättelse]. Annual Report of the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Parliament of Sweden. {{in lang|sv}} and causing it to go offline for three days. Upon reopening, the site's number of visitors more than doubled,{{cite web|url=http://startupmeme.com/should-piratebay-thank-mpaa-for-its-cult-following/ |title=Should The Pirate Bay thank MPAA for its cult following? | Startup Meme |publisher=Startupmeme.com |access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719063921/http://startupmeme.com/should-piratebay-thank-mpaa-for-its-cult-following/ |archive-date = 19 July 2008}} the increased popularity attributed to greater exposure through the media coverage. The raid, alleged by The Pirate Bay to be politically motivated and under pressure from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA),{{cite video|title=Steal This Film}} was reported as a success by the MPAA in the immediate aftermath but with the website being restored within days and file sharing firmly in focus in the Swedish media, with TorrentFreak calling the raid "highly unsuccessful".{{cite web|author1=Ernesto|title=The Pirate Bay: One year After the Raid|url=https://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-one-year-after-the-raid/|publisher=TorrentFreak|access-date=4 June 2016|date=31 May 2007}}{{cite web| url=http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-not-impressed-by-announced-prosecution/| date=4 May 2007| publisher=TorrentFreak| title=The Pirate Bay Not Impressed by Announced Prosecution| access-date=20 May 2007}}

The police, however, conducted a preliminary investigation on the confiscated material and by interrogating associated people. In late 2007, a four thousand page report was produced by the prosecutor in preparation for a trial,{{cite news |first=Linus |last=Larsson |date=11 December 2007 |title=Åtal mot The Pirate Bay kan dröja |url=http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.135796 |work=Computer Sweden |publisher=IDG |language=sv }} containing email and SMS messages, payment documents, police interrogation records, and screenshots of The Pirate Bay site.{{cite news |first=Monica |last=Kleja |date=28 January 2009 |title=Rekordlång rättegång mot fildelare |url=http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/internet/article499399.ece |work=Ny Teknik |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726191336/http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/internet/article499399.ece |archive-date=26 July 2014 }}{{cite news |first=David |last=Nilsson |date=19 February 2009 |title=Förhören med de åtalade forsätter |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article4454527.ab |work=Aftonbladet |language=sv }}

{{See also|Judicial system of Sweden}}

On 31 January 2008 Swedish prosecutors filed charges against four individuals they associated with The Pirate Bay for "promoting other people's infringements of copyright laws". One of the artists represented by IFPI, Max Peezay, withdrew from the case, decreasing his distributor's compensation demand by 120 000 SEK. Peezay hadn't been asked about participating in the case, and he in fact supports file sharing for private use.{{cite news |first=Tobias |last=Brandel |date=16 April 2008 |title=Ifpi ber Max Peezay om ursäkt |url=http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_1137149.svd |work=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv }} Peezay noted however that being unfamiliar with the site, his withdrawal shouldn't be interpreted as a sign of support for their case.{{cite news |first=Tobias |last=Brandel |date=16 April 2008 |title=Artist hoppar av Pirate bay-åtalet |url=http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_1137879.svd |work=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv}} The trial began in February 2009. The evidence used in the trial was based on the material acquired in the 2006 raid.

The Swedish national television broadcaster Sveriges Television considered the trial important{{cite web |url=http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=63873&a=1445342 |title=Varför satsar vi på Pirate Service? |publisher=Sveriges Television |work=24 Direkt |author=Fichtelius, Erik |language=sv}} and provided a live online feed of the entire trial,{{cite web |url=http://www.journalisten.se/artikel/18246/svt-direktsaender-raettegangen-mot-pirate-bay |title=SVT direktsänder rättegången mot Pirate Bay |publisher=Journalisten.se |author=Giertta, Helena |date=10 February 2009 |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213091521/http://www.journalisten.se/artikel/18246/svt-direktsaender-raettegangen-mot-pirate-bay |archive-date=13 February 2009 }} which had never been done in Sweden before.{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/0,1518,606954,00.html |title=Pirate-Bay-Prozess wird live übertragen |work=Spiegel Online |language=de}} The live audio and archive sections done in cooperation with Dagens Eko were part of the 24 Direkt program, which became one of their most viewed online content during the trial, second only to Melodifestivalen.{{cite news |url=http://blogg.svd.se/ledarbloggen?id=12085 |title=Ledarredaktionens blogg – Fichtelius vill påpeka en sak |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |author=Abrahamsson, Maria |date=23 February 2009 |language=sv |access-date=27 February 2009 |archive-date=26 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226201628/http://blogg.svd.se/ledarbloggen?id=12085 |url-status=dead }} The trial was also broadcast live by Swedish public radio.{{cite web |url=http://www.sr.se/sida/artikel.aspx?FormatId=108&ProgramId=3402&Artikel=2631714 |title=Sveriges Radio direktsänder Pirate bay-rättegången |publisher=Sveriges Radio |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503114216/http://www.sr.se/sida/artikel.aspx?FormatId=108&ProgramId=3402&Artikel=2631714 |archive-date=2009-05-03 }}

The defendants referred to the trial as a "Spectrial", which is a portmanteau of "trial" and "spectacle",{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2009/feb/16/pirate-bay-bittorrent|title=Avast! Pirate Bay goes on trial|last=Anderson |first=Kevin|date=16 February 2009|newspaper=Guardian|access-date=20 April 2009}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nerdcore.de/wp/2009/02/16/the-pirate-bays-spectrial-links-und-live-streams/ |title=The Pirate Bays Spectrial – Links und Live-Streams | Nerdcore |publisher=Nerdcore.de |date=5 October 2008 |access-date=5 October 2009 |archive-date=22 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222171526/http://www.nerdcore.de/wp/2009/02/16/the-pirate-bays-spectrial-links-und-live-streams/ |url-status=dead }} and set up a blog to inform users on the event.{{cite web |url=http://trial.thepiratebay.org/ |title=Spectrial |publisher=Trial.thepiratebay.org |access-date=5 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306020910/http://trial.thepiratebay.org/ |archive-date=6 March 2009 }} The term has also caught on with some bloggers and supporters.{{cite news|author=Logged in as click here to log out |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2009/feb/16/pirate-bay-bittorrent |title=Avast! Pirate Bay goes on trial | Technology | guardian.co.uk |newspaper=Guardian |date=16 February 2009 |access-date=5 October 2009}}

File:Peter gottfried rick marcin2.jpg, Gottfrid Svartholm, Rick Falkvinge and {{Interlanguage link multi|Marcin de Kaminski|sv}} at the demonstration by the court house on the first day of the trial]]

On 16 February 2009 defence lawyer Per E. Samuelson stressed to the court that "file sharing services can be used both legally and illegally". Samuelson argued that "it is legal to offer a service that can be used in both a legal and illegal way according to Swedish law" and that The Pirate Bay's services "can be compared to making cars that can be driven faster than the speed limit". Defense attorney Jonas Nilsson insisted that "the individual Internet users who use Pirate Bay services... must answer for the material they have in their possession or the files they plan to share with others."[https://www.thelocal.se/20090216/17622 Pirate Bay chiefs deny illegal downloading at trial], The Local, 16 February 2009.

On 17 February 2009 (the second day of the trial) half of the charges against The Pirate Bay were dropped.[http://www.thelocal.se/17640/20090217/ Pirate Bay prosecutor amends charges] The Local, 17 February 2009 According to defense lawyer Per Samuelson, "This is a sensation. It is very rare to win half the case in just one and a half days and it is clear the prosecutor took strong note of what we said yesterday". Peter Danowsky, legal counsel for the music companies, stated "It's a largely technical issue that changes nothing in terms of our compensation claims and has no bearing whatsoever on the main case against The Pirate Bay. In fact it simplifies the prosecutor’s case by allowing him to focus on the main issue which is the making available of copyrighted works."[http://www.trelleborgsallehanda.se/article/20090217/TTINRIKES/941131515 Lawyers say it is a sensation], Trelleborgs Allehanda, 17 February 2009. The prosecutor was unable to prove that the .torrent files brought as evidence were actually using The Pirate Bay's tracker. Furthermore, prosecutor Håkan Roswall did not adequately explain the function of DHT which allows for so-called "trackerless" torrents. These shortcomings in the evidence resulted in prosecutor Håkan Roswall having to drop all charges relating to "assisting copyright infringement", leaving "assisting making available" as the remaining charge. Roswall stated that "everything related to reproduction will be removed from the claim".{{cite web | url=http://torrentfreak.com/50-of-charges-against-pirate-bay-dropped-090217/ | title=50% of charges dropped | publisher=TorrentFreak | date=17 February 2009}} Sanna Wolk, a doctor in law and researcher at Stockholm University observed that "this is not surprising, at least for those who follow the matter. We knew that The Pirate Bay wasn't making any copies directly".

On the third day of The Pirate Bay trial, prosecution witnesses claimed damages on the basis that it should have obtained worldwide licenses for the content it distributed. Where content wasn't officially available, a Beatles song, for example, it should be charged at 10 times the going rate. This calculation underlines the prosecution's demand for 117 million SEK (US$12.9 million, €10.2 million) in compensation and damages.[https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/02/labels-want-13-million-from-pirate-bay-as-trial-starts.ars Big Content wants $13 million from Pirate Bay as trial starts] Ars Technica, 16 February 2009

On day three of the trial, defense attorney Per Samuelson presented an argument later dubbed the "King Kong defense":[http://torrentfreak.com/g-defense-090218/ Day 3 — The Pirate Bay’s ‘King Kong’ Defense] TorrentFreak, 18 February 2009.

{{quote|EU directive 2000/31/EC[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32000L0031:EN:NOT European Parliament Directive on electronic commerce (2000/31/EC)], 8 June 2000, Official Journal of the European Union, L 178, 17 July 2000. says that the person who provides an information service is not responsible for the information that is being transferred. In order to be responsible, the service provider must initiate the transfer. But the admins of The Pirate Bay don't initiate transfers. It's the users that do and they are physically identifiable people. They call themselves names like King Kong... According to legal procedure, the accusations must be against an individual and there must be a close tie between the perpetrators of a crime and those who are assisting. This tie has not been shown. The prosecutor must show that Carl Lundström personally has interacted with the user King Kong, who may very well be found in the jungles of Cambodia...[http://svtplay.se/v/1448829/24direkt/dag_3_-_advokat_per_e_samuelson_sakframstallning_for_carl_lundstrom?cb,a1366518,1,f,105865/pb,a1366516,1,f,105865/pl,v,,1446413/sb,k105865,1,f,105865 Dag 3 — Advokat Per E Samuelson sakframställning för Carl lundström] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222155217/http://svtplay.se/v/1448829/24direkt/dag_3_-_advokat_per_e_samuelson_sakframstallning_for_carl_lundstrom?cb%2Ca1366518%2C1%2Cf%2C105865%2Fpb%2Ca1366516%2C1%2Cf%2C105865%2Fpl%2Cv%2C%2C1446413%2Fsb%2Ck105865%2C1%2Cf%2C105865 |date=2009-02-22 }} svtplay.se, 18 February 2009.}}

Samuelson was referring to a real Pirate Bay user who posts via the username "King Kong", who Samuelson hypothesizes could be in Cambodia. He used this scenario to illustrate that Lundström had no control over the actions undertaken by Pirate Bay users. His main objection was that although the prosecutor had said that the accused would be tried individually, he had not once referred to them individually, but always as "them", "they", or "Pirate Bay". Samuelson said the persons behind The Pirate Bay could not be held collectively responsible for a crime committed by other identifiable individuals, such as "King Kong".{{cite web|url= http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/02/pirate_wednesda.html |work=Threat Level |publisher=Wired News Blogs |title=Pirate Bay Crew Chums Up to Foes Over Lunch |date=18 February 2009 |access-date=19 February 2009|first=Oscar |last=Swartz}}

The term "King Kong defense" was quickly popularized by blogs, file sharing news feeds, and media reports on the Pirate Bay trial.{{cite news |first=Kristoffer |last=Rengfors |date=19 February 2009 |title=Internet hyllar King Kong-försvar |url=http://www.metro.se/se/article/2009/02/18/17/3449-45/index.xml |work=Metro |language=sv |access-date=18 February 2009 }} Amused online commentators compared it to the Chewbacca defense from the TV series South Park, citing a reference to the "jungles of Cambodia" as "the kind of extraneous detail that makes the Chewbacca defense hilarious".{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-dannen/techwatch/torrent-site-fights-legal-action-chewbacca-defense|title=Torrent Site Fights Legal Action with 'Chewbacca Defense'|author=Chris Dannon|publisher=FastCompany| date=19 February 2009|access-date=19 February 2009}}

In its April verdict, the court found that because the defendants indeed had collective responsibility for the site and knew some torrent files on it pointed to copyrighted material, the EU directive did not apply.

On 19 February 2009, the fourth day of the trial, Fredrik was questioned several times. It came to the court's attention that Tobias Andersson, a future witness in the case, was in the court where he was later asked to leave the room. When it was movie industry lawyer Monique Wadsted’s turn, she introduced new evidence without warning. Noting the breach of protocol, the presiding judge asked if it was acceptable for the court to be considering evidence that was not already presented pre-trial.{{cite web|url=http://torrentfreak.com/day-4-pirate-bay-defense-calls-foul-over-evidence-090219/|title=Day 4 - Pirate Bay Defense Calls Foul Over Evidence — TorrentFreak|work=TorrentFreak}}

Day five of the proceedings saw conflict as the prosecution again attempted to introduce evidence that had not been shared with both the court and the defense during pre-trial. The defense objected vehemently with defense lawyer Peter Althin equating the tactic to something out of the old Perry Mason TV show. “Suddenly, the door opens and in walks an entirely new witness.” The presiding judge stopped the case to deliberate the matter and found in favor of the defense, instructing the prosecution to immediately hand over all material they planned to use.[http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/9002/pirate-bay-5.html Pirate Bay Trial Day 5: Perry Mason Episode Delays Trial] – MP3 Newswire, 20 February 2009

The prosecution and the defense spent the remainder of the day delivering conflicting portrayals of the Pirate Bay. The prosecution attempted to show the Pirate Bay as an immensely profitable business that made its money helping others violate copyright law. The defense attempted to show the Pirate Bay as nothing more than a search engine, no different from Google and thus subject to the same protections.

On days seven to nine, the court heard expert witnesses called by the prosecution and the defense.[http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/44/23/83/PB_forhands_2marsc.pdf Trial plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318074937/http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/44/23/83/PB_forhands_2marsc.pdf |date=2009-03-18 }} revised on 2 March 2009. {{in lang|sv}} They cited contradicting academic research on the effects of file sharing on sales in the music and film industry globally[http://svtplay.se/v/1457214/24direkt/dag_8_-_john_kennedy_forhors_av_nilsson_och_althin Dag 8 - Althin förhör Kennedy, IFPI] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228051352/http://svtplay.se/v/1457214/24direkt/dag_8_-_john_kennedy_forhors_av_nilsson_och_althin |date=2009-02-28 }}. 24 Direkt, Sveriges Television.

• Oberholzer-Gee, Felix & Strumpf, Koleman (March 2004). "[http://www.unc.edu/~cigar/papers/FileSharing_March2004.pdf The effect of file sharing on record sales: An empirical analysis.]" Working paper.
• Liebowitz, Stan (August 2007). "[http://copyrightalliance.net/files/ssrn-id1014399.pdf How Reliable is the Oberholzer-Gee and Strumpf paper on File-Sharing?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318074939/http://copyrightalliance.net/files/ssrn-id1014399.pdf |date=2009-03-18 }}" Working paper, University of Texas at Dallas.
• {{cite journal |last=Liebowitz |first=Stan |date=April 2006 |title=File Sharing: Creative Destruction or Just Plain Destruction? |journal=Journal of Law and Economics |volume=49 |publisher=University of Chicago |doi=10.1086/503518 |url=https://www.loc.gov/crb/proceedings/2006-3/riaa-ex-c-110-dp.pdf |pages=1–28 |s2cid=6000126 }}
• {{cite journal |last=Michel |first=Norbert J. |year=2006 |title=The Impact of Digital File Sharing on the Music Industry: An Empirical Analysis |journal=Topics in Economic Analysis & Policy |volume=6 |issue=1:18 |publisher=Berkeley Electronic Press |doi=10.2202/1538-0653.1549 |s2cid=201121720 |url=http://norbertmichel.com/files/EmpiricalPaperAug2006.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318074939/http://norbertmichel.com/files/EmpiricalPaperAug2006.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-18 }}

and regionally in Sweden.

[http://svtplay.se/v/1459644/24direkt/dag_9_-_roger_wallis_forhors_av_malsagandeadvokaterna_ponten_och_wadsted Dag 9 - Ponten förhör Wallis] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302095801/http://svtplay.se/v/1459644/24direkt/dag_9_-_roger_wallis_forhors_av_malsagandeadvokaterna_ponten_och_wadsted |date=2009-03-02 }}. 24 Direkt, Sveriges Television {{cite web |url=http://svt.se/2.106876/1.1459357/som-rapporterna_fran_goteborgs_universitet |title=SOM-rapporterna från Göteborgs Universitet - SVT Forum | SVT.se |access-date=2009-04-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014090847/http://svt.se/2.106876/1.1459357/som-rapporterna_fran_goteborgs_universitet |archive-date=2009-10-14 |language=sv}}

• Wallis et al. (2005–2006). "Broadband technologies transforming business models and challenging regulatory frameworks – lessons from the music industry." [http://www.musiclessons.se/ MusicLessons]. Royal Institute of Technology.
• Antoni, Rudolf (2006). "[http://www.som.gu.se/rapporter/biopublik/hela_landet.pdf Biopublik i hela landet - Vanor och attityder bortom biokomplexen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819151416/http://www.som.gu.se/rapporter/biopublik/hela_landet.pdf |date=2007-08-19 }}". The SOM institute. {{in lang|sv}}
• Antoni, Rudolf (2007). "[http://www.som.gu.se/rapporter/biopublik/morgondagens_publik2006.pdf Morgondagens publik. Attityder och vanor kring film och bio på 2000-talet] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306195651/http://www.som.gu.se/rapporter/biopublik/morgondagens_publik2006.pdf |date=2009-03-06 }}". The SOM institute. {{in lang|sv}}

The four operators of the site were convicted by Stockholm district court on 17 April 2009 and sentenced to one year imprisonment each and a total of 30 million Swedish kronor (approximately US$3.5 million, €2.7 million) in fines and damages. The court found that the defendants were all guilty of accessory to crime against copyright law, strengthened by the commercial and organized nature of the activity.{{cite news |author1=Stiernstedt, Jenny |author2=Johansson, Astrid E |author3=Söderling, Fredrik |author4=Grassman, Oliver |date=17 April 2009 |title=The Pirate Bay sentenced to one year in prison |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/the-pirate-bay-sentenced-to-one-year-in-prison/ |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter }} The court, however, never presented its corpus delicti (that is, it never attempted to prove that a crime was committed, but it succeeded in proving that someone was an accessory to that crime). Prosecutor Håkan Roswall cited in his closing arguments a Supreme Court of Sweden opinion that a person holding the jacket of someone committing battery can be held responsible for the battery.{{cite news |first=Kristoffer |last=Rengfors |date=2 March 2009 |title=Pläderingar – Därför ska Pirate Bay straffas |url=http://www.metro.se/2009/03/02/80142/pladeringar-darfor-ska-pirate-bay-str/index.xml |publisher=Metro |language=sv }}NJA 1963 s. 574 In its verdict, the court stated that "responsibility for assistance can strike someone who has only insignificantly assisted in the principal crime",{{cite news |first=Mats |last=Lewan |date=21 April 2009 |title=Sorting out the Pirate Bay verdict |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10224201-93.html |publisher=CNET News |access-date=22 April 2009 |archive-date=28 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728203112/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10224201-93.html |url-status=dead }} referring to a Supreme Court precedent where an accountant was sentenced for accessory to crime even though his actions were not criminal per se.[http://www.jurstud.su.se/filer/2007-11-30_B_20961-07_dom.pdf NJA 2007 s. 929] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323161253/http://www.jurstud.su.se/filer/2007-11-30_B_20961-07_dom.pdf |date=2012-03-23 }} The court rejected the charge of preparation to crime against copyright law. The lawyers of all four defendants appealed the verdict,{{cite news |first=Monica |last=Kleja |date=7 May 2009 |title=Pirate Bay: Alla fyra överklagar sina domar |url=http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/internet/article572056.ece |work=Ny Teknik |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714170833/http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/internet/article572056.ece |archive-date=14 July 2014 }} with Lundström's lawyers filing their appeal immediately on the day the verdict was given.{{cite news |first=Mikael |last=Ricknäs |date=21 April 2009 |title=Pirate Bay Case on Its Way to the Court of Appeal |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/163492/pirate_bay_case_on_its_way_to_the_court_of_appeal.html |work=PC World |publisher=IDG |access-date=24 April 2009 |archive-date=24 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424035139/http://www.pcworld.com/article/163492/pirate_bay_case_on_its_way_to_the_court_of_appeal.html |url-status=dead }} The entertainment industry lawyers appealed as well, on reintroducing the dismissed charge and on the method of calculating damages, which in their opinion does not fully cover the lost income.{{cite news |first=David |last=Landes |author2=O'Mahony, Paul |date=20 May 2009 |title=Showbiz reps appeal for more Pirate Bay loot |url=http://www.thelocal.se/19572/20090520/ |work=The Local }}

File sharing researcher Daniel Johansson called the ruling the most important file sharing related verdict in Europe so far, comparing it to the Napster verdict in the US.{{cite news |date=17 April 2009 |title=The Pirate Bay verdict: the reactions |url=http://www.thelocal.se/18930/20090417/ |work=The Local }} The sentence is the longest ever awarded under Swedish copyright law,{{cite news |first=Andre |last=Paine |date=24 April 2009 |title=Billboard Q&A: Lawyers Analyze Pirate Bay Case |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i55fbb4c9063b301d1651610b4d1bb390 |work=Billboard.biz |access-date=8 May 2009 |archive-date=13 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113083211/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i55fbb4c9063b301d1651610b4d1bb390 |url-status=dead }} and the prison time and damage compensation high by Swedish standards.{{cite news |author=Bird & Bird |date=22 April 2009 |title=The Pirate Bay case: your questions answered |url=http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/04/22/235748/the-pirate-bay-case-your-questions-answered.htm |work=Computer Weekly }} While most legal experts expected the court to find the defendants guilty,{{cite news |first=Mikael |last=Ricknäs |date=17 April 2009 |title=The Pirate Bay Four Found Guilty |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/163317/the_pirate_bay_four_found_guilty.html |work=PC World |publisher=IDG |access-date=8 May 2009 |archive-date=21 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521120935/http://www.pcworld.com/article/163317/the_pirate_bay_four_found_guilty.html |url-status=dead }} they were surprised at the harsh verdict.{{cite news |date=18 April 2009 |title=Swedish press: file sharing still ahead of the law |url=http://www.thelocal.se/18938/20090418/ |work=The Local }}{{cite news |date=18 April 2009 |title=Nätpirater i sjönöd |url=http://sydsvenskan.se/opinion/huvudledare/article426969/Natpirater-i-sjonod.html |work=Sydsvenskan |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421065030/http://sydsvenskan.se/opinion/huvudledare/article426969/Natpirater-i-sjonod.html |archive-date=21 April 2009 }} Sociology of law professor Håkan Hyden criticised the exceptionally harsh sentence on both the prison time and large amount of compensation awarded,{{cite news |first=Per |last=Gulbrandsen |date=23 April 2009 |title=Rättsprofessor kritiserar Pirate Bay-domen: "Konstig" |url=http://www.sr.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1012&artikel=2787875 |work=Mitt i musiken |publisher=Sveriges Radio P1 |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427150707/http://www.sr.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1012&artikel=2787875 |archive-date=27 April 2009 }} and some legal analysts expect the punishments to be radically lowered in higher courts.{{cite news |first=Fredrik |last=Söderling |date=17 April 2009 |title=The Pirate Bay sentence is surprisingly harsh |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/fredrik-soderling-the-pirate-bay-sentence-is-surprisingly-harsh/ |work=Dagens Nyheter }}

The international public following the trial received the verdict with varying opinions. Some high-profile copyright holders publicly defended the verdict, with former Beatles member Paul McCartney commenting to the BBC that "if you get on a bus, you've got to pay. And I think it's fair, you should pay for your ticket."{{cite news |first=Greg |last=McKenzie |author2=Cochrane, Greg |title=Paul McCartney: Pirate Bay verdict 'fair' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_8007000/8007950.stm |date=20 April 2009 |work=Newsbeat |publisher=BBC }} Mark Mulligan from Forrester Research considered the verdict very important for music industry PR,{{cite news |date=17 April 2009 |title='Illegal file sharing won't stop' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8004381.stm |work=BBC News }} and copyright holder organisations indeed praised it as a landmark verdict.{{cite news |first=Dugie |last=Standeford |date=26 April 2009 |title=Mixed Review Of Swedish Pirate Bay Jail Sentences |url=http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/04/26/mixed-review-of-swedish-pirate-bay-jail-sentences/ |work=Intellectual Property Watch }}{{cite news |date=17 April 2009 |title=Reactions to the verdict on the Pirate Bay trial |url=http://www.recordoftheday.com/www/news/article.php?aid=538 |work=Record of the Day }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Likewise, The European Association of Internet Service Providers welcomed the verdict, commending judicial resolution to copyright infringement issues over internet filtering or three strikes policies.{{cite press release |title=Reaction on the Pirate Bay verdict |publisher=euroispa.org |date=17 April 2009 |url=http://www.euroispa.org/files/090417_euroispa_piratebay_judgement.pdf }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Economist went further by criticising that the sentence might not have been strong enough to act as a deterrent for setting up similar services in the future.{{cite news |date=17 April 2009 |title=Online pirates at bay |url=http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13518830 |newspaper=The Economist }}

Some copyright holders took a different view however: Snow Patrol vocalist Gary Lightbody commented in interview that "they shouldn't have been jailed... the punishment doesn't fit the crime."{{cite web |date=24 April 2009 |title=Snow Patrol blast Pirate Bay sentences |url=http://www.bigissuescotland.com/news/view/83 |work=The Big Issue in Scotland |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930201417/http://www.bigissuescotland.com/news/view/83 |archive-date=30 September 2011 }} In a column in Dagens Nyheter, composer and professor Roger Wallis, who was involved in the trial, condemned the verdict and its effects as paralyzing Swedish IT innovation on new ways of doing business.{{cite news |first=Roger |last=Wallis |date=24 April 2009 |title=Roger Wallis om kurslitteratur för nedladdning |url=http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/debatt-essa/debatt-student-bay-1.851471 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728180306/http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/debatt-essa/debatt-student-bay-1.851471 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 28, 2012 |work=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv }}

At the end of May 2009, Swedish Minister for Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth made a speech to The Swedish Society of Popular Music Composers, expressing her opinion that "I was among those pleased about the Pirate Bay verdict."{{cite news |first=Johan |last=Arvidsson |date=26 May 2009 |title=Kulturministerns utfall mot Pirate Bay |url=http://nyheter24.se/nyheter/inrikes/232341-kulturministern-gjorde-utfall-mot-pirate-bay |work=Nyheter24 |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529080944/http://nyheter24.se/nyheter/inrikes/232341-kulturministern-gjorde-utfall-mot-pirate-bay |archive-date=29 May 2009 }} In accordance with the ministerstyre in the Constitution of Sweden, it is unconstitutional for ministers to influence ongoing cases, and many political commentators criticised the minister's statement. Max Andersson, member of the Committee on the Constitution in the Parliament of Sweden, requested the committee to review the incident.{{cite news |first=Esbjörn |last=Sandin |author2=Arvidsson, Henrik |date=27 May 2009 |title=Kulturministern KU-anmäls för positivt uttalande om Pirate Bay-domen |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/kulturministern-ku-anmals-for-positivt-uttalande-om-pirate-bay-domen/ |work=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv }} The committee pointed out the independence of judicial bodies and the government, and reminded ministers to exercise caution in their statements, but saw no need for further action or comment.[http://www.riksdagen.se/webbnav/index.aspx?nid=3322&rm=2009/10&bet=KU20 Konstitutionsutskottets betänkande 2009/10:KU20]. Parliament of Sweden. {{in lang|sv}}

Over 25,000 people joined the Swedish Pirate Party in the ten days following the guilty verdict,[http://www.blogpirate.org/2009/04/17/result-of-verdict-for-the-pirate-party/ Result of Verdict, for the Pirate Party] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420024204/http://www.blogpirate.org/2009/04/17/result-of-verdict-for-the-pirate-party/ |date=2009-04-20 }}. Blog Pirate. 17 April 2009. raising its membership to over 40,000 members and making it the fourth-largest Swedish party by membership count at the time, and the party with the largest youth organisation.[http://www.piratpartiet.se/storlek "Medlemsantal"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417021816/http://www.piratpartiet.se/storlek |date=2009-04-17 }} from piratpartiet.se, accessed on 17 April 2009

In Stockholm and other cities, the Pirate Party organized protests against the court's verdict. Over 1000 protesters gathered in the streets of Stockholm the following day.[http://www.thelocal.se/18954/20090419/ Swedes demonstrate in support of Pirate Bay]. The Local. 19 April 2009.[http://torrentfreak.com/swedes-demonstrate-against-pirate-bay-verdict-090418/ Swedes Demonstrate Against Pirate Bay Verdict]. TorrentFreak. 18 April 2009. Protest leader Malin Littorin-Ferm said "we young people have a whole platform on the Internet, where we have all our social contacts—it is there that we live. The state is trying to control the Internet and, by extension, our private lives".Geere, Duncan. [http://www.techdigest.tv/2009/04/pirate_bay_we_w.html Pirate Bay: "We will not pay any fines!"]. Tech Digest. 20 April 2009. Pirate Party Chairman Rickard Falkvinge claimed at the protests that "the establishment and the politicians have declared war against our whole generation,"[https://web.archive.org/web/20090421060244/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hspvgQydv-el2qT9uJIKl2ElgILAD97KVRAO1 Sweden: Hundreds Protest Pirate Bay Conviction]. Associated Press. 18 April 2009.

Following the conviction, the IFPI demanded that Swedish internet service providers block The Pirate Bay, but the ISPs have refused to do this.[http://www.thelocal.se/18940/20090418/ ISPs refuse to shut down Pirate Bay] The Local. 18 April 2009. Jon Karlung, managing director of Bahnhof, stated that "we will not censor sites for our customers; that is not our job. I am against anything that contradicts the principle of a free and open Internet."

Several Swedish file sharing sites have closed voluntarily with The Pirate Bay verdict as a deterrent and as a result of further police investigation.{{cite news |first=Tobias |last=Olsson |date=20 April 2009 |title=Flera fildelningssajter stängda |url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_2766265.svd |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv }}

On 20 April 2009, Anonymous mobilized "Operation Baylout", which included a DDoS attack on the IFPI International website, causing the site to go offline for a few hours. They released a statement asking supporters of file-sharing to refrain from making any industry-related media purchases during the months of April and May.[http://www.blogpirate.org/2009/04/20/anon-causes-mischief-for-ifpi-calls-for-a-media-boycott/ Anon Causes Mischief For IFPI, Calls For A Media Boycott] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424060634/http://www.blogpirate.org/2009/04/20/anon-causes-mischief-for-ifpi-calls-for-a-media-boycott/ |date=2009-04-24 }}. Blog Pirate. 20 April 2009.Leyden, John. [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/20/ddos_hacktivism_pirate_bay/ Music industry sites DDoSed after Pirate Bay verdict]. The Register. 20 April 2009.

Two artists originally mentioned in the indictment, Advance Patrol and Max Peezay, later went on to release their work on The Pirate Bay in spring 2009.{{cite news |first=Karin |last=Arbsjö |date=5 March 2009 |title=Max Peezay släpper singel på The Pirate Bay |url=http://sydsvenskan.se/kultur-och-nojen/article417276/Max-Peezay-slapper-ny-singel-pa-The-Pirate-Bay.html |work=Sydsvenskan |language=sv |access-date=31 May 2009 |archive-date=8 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608170641/http://sydsvenskan.se/kultur-och-nojen/article417276/Max-Peezay-slapper-ny-singel-pa-The-Pirate-Bay.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |first=Ossi |last=Carp |date=31 May 2009 |title=Advance Patrol släpper ny skiva via The Pirate Bay |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/advance-patrol-slapper-ny-skiva-via-the-pirate-bay/ |work=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv }}

Gottfrid Svartholm, one of the TPB founding members, was arrested on 2 September 2012, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, while evading Swedish authorities following the 2009 verdict and conviction. A group of Anonymous hackers claimed to have attacked websites and internet systems belonging to the Cambodian government in the wake of the arrest. Although at the time of the arrest an extradition treaty was non-existent between Cambodia and Sweden, negotiations were entered into for the purpose of expelling Svartholm.{{cite news|title=Hackers claim revenge on Pirate Bay arrest|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/06ba66de-f729-11e1-8e9e-00144feabdc0.html|access-date=7 September 2012|newspaper=Financial Times|date=5 September 2012|author=Gwen Robinson}}

Fredrik Neij, the last of the website's founders to be detained after dodging the 2009 conviction for copyright violations, was detained and later arrested in November 2014 in Nong Khai, Thailand. Swedish officials were brought in and Thai officials stated he would be extradited within the month.{{cite news|title=Pirate Bay co-founder Fredrik Neij to be extradited to Sweden from Thailand|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/pirate-bay-co-founder-fredrik-neij-to-be-extradited-to-sweden-from-thailand-1.2824477|access-date=5 November 2014|newspaper=CBC News|date=5 November 2014|author=The Associated Press}}

In mid 2008 after the indictment had been served, it was discovered that the main police investigator in the preliminary investigation had started working for one of the plaintiffs, Warner Brothers, before the date of the indictment. Sunde's lawyer Peter Althin questioned the neutrality and reliability of the preliminary investigation in the event that the investigator had entered the new employment during the investigation, and suspected the job might have been a reward for good work in The Pirate Bay investigation.{{cite news |first=Joakim |last=Thorkildsen |date=18 April 2008 |title=Pirate Bay-etterforsker fikk jobb hos filmgigant |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2008/04/18/532940.html |work=Dagbladet |language=no }} Althin believed that the investigation might have to be redone if that was the case.{{cite news |first=Monica |last=Kleja |date=18 April 2008 |title=Pirate Bay-polisen bytte sida - Utredningen kan vara ogiltig |url=http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/internet/article333849.ece |work=Ny Teknik |language=sv |access-date=9 May 2009 |archive-date=3 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503142726/http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/internet/article333849.ece |url-status=dead }} The prosecutor Håkan Roswall responded that it wouldn't have posed problems for the investigation because the police were working under his directive, and the investigator's superior officer brushed off the incident as nothing remarkable. Warner Brothers commented merely that the investigator hadn't received any compensation during the time he worked for the Swedish police.{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Kuprijanko |date=21 April 2008 |title=Pirate Bay-polisen begärde tjänstledigt under utredningen |url=http://sydsvenskan.se/digitalt/article317679/Pirate-Bay-polisen-begarde-tjanstledigt-under-utredningen.html |work=Sydsvenskan |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510145921/http://sydsvenskan.se/digitalt/article317679/Pirate-Bay-polisen-begarde-tjanstledigt-under-utredningen.html |archive-date=10 May 2009 }} According to Roswall, this type of concurrent employment would not be an individual incident, but that the decision of possible bias would be for the court to decide, and that the investigator is not a key witness in the case.{{cite news |first=Linus |last=Larsson |date=18 April 2008 |title=Åklagaren: Det har hänt förr |url=http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.156968 |work=Computer Sweden |publisher=IDG |language=sv }} The investigator could not be reached during the trial and was taken off the witness list.[http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/44/23/83/PB_plan_20feb3.pdf Trial plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306090746/http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/44/23/83/PB_plan_20feb3.pdf |date=2009-03-06 }} revised on 20 February 2009. {{in lang|sv}}[http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/45/70/23/PB_forhands_25feb.pdf Trial plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014091350/http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/45/70/23/PB_forhands_25feb.pdf |date=2009-10-14 }} revised on 25 February 2009. {{in lang|sv}}[http://svtplay.se/v/1456457/24direkt/dag_7_-_forhor_med_anders_nilsson__antipiratbyran Dag 7 - Förhör med Anders Nilsson, Antipiratbyrån.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227120446/http://svtplay.se/v/1456457/24direkt/dag_7_-_forhor_med_anders_nilsson__antipiratbyran |date=2009-02-27 }} 24 Direkt, Sveriges Television {{in lang|sv}}

Only days before the trial began, one of the three appointed lay judges was discovered to be a member of a composers' association that among others works on protecting copyright.{{cite news |first=Oscar |last=Levy |date=10 February 2009 |title=Pirate Bay-nämndeman är partisk |url=http://nyheter24.se/nyheter/inrikes/131267-pirate-bay-namndeman-ar-partisk |publisher=Nyheter24 |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418134700/http://nyheter24.se/nyheter/inrikes/131267-pirate-bay-namndeman-ar-partisk |archive-date=18 April 2009 }} After discussing with judge Tomas Norström the problem the membership could pose to the trial, the composer recused himself from acting as a lay judge in the case and he was replaced with another.{{cite news |first=Jenny |last=Stiernstedt |date=23 April 2009 |title=Domaren var orolig för vad som skulle kunna hända om jag satt kvar |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/domaren-var-orolig-for-vad-som-skulle-kunna-handa-om-jag-satt-kvar/ |work=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv }}{{cite news |first=Irene |last=Sokolow |date=17 April 2009 |title=Dom i Pirate Bay-mål idag |url=http://www.e24.se/branscher/reklammedia/artikel_1251685.e24 |work=E24 Näringsliv |language=sv}}

In the aftermath of the trial, presiding judge Tomas Norström, the same judge that ordered the 2006 raid on The Pirate Bay's servers, came under scrutiny after allegations of bias. Sveriges Radio P3 News organized an investigation that found on 23 April that Norström had several engagements with organisations interested in intellectual property issues. Peter Danowsky, Monique Wadsted and Henrik Pontén from the prosecution side are also members of one of the organisations, the Swedish Copyright Association (SFU).{{cite web |date=23 April 2009 |title=Pirate Bay lawyer calls for retrial |url=http://www.thelocal.se/19028/20090423/ |website=The Local }} Wadsted commented that all intellectual property lawyers in Stockholm are part of the association.{{cite news |first=Jenny |last=Stiernstedt |date=23 April 2009 |title=Monique Wadstedt: "Vi har ingen privat relation" |url=http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/monica-wadstedt-pirate-bay-jav-domare-1.850489 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426112715/http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/monica-wadstedt-pirate-bay-jav-domare-1.850489 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 26, 2009 |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv }} According to Norström, the organisations are involved in discussion about copyright, while the earlier lay judges's organisation advocates further copyright protection.{{cite news |first=Jenny|last=Stiernstedt |date=23 April 2009 |title=The Pirate Bay-rättegången kan tas om |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/the-pirate-bay-rattegangen-kan-tas-om/ |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv}} Norström however also sits in the board of the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, which along with the SFU are the Swedish branches of International Association for the Protection of Industrial Property (AIPPI) and Association littéraire et artistique internationale (ALAI). AIPPI's website states that "the objective of AIPPI is to improve and promote the protection of intellectual property on both an international and national basis", and ALAI's president Victor Nabhan commented that his organisation is dedicated mostly to defending copyright holders' interests.{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Jönsson |author2=Carlsson, Thorbjörn |date=11 May 2009 |title=Försvarar upphovsmännens intressen |url=http://www.sr.se/sida/gruppsida.aspx?programid=3402&grupp=6915&artikel=2825724 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911190310/http://www.sr.se/sida/gruppsida.aspx?programid=3402&grupp=6915&artikel=2825724 |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 September 2012 |work=P3 News |publisher=Sveriges Radio |language=sv }} Several legal experts have commented that the judge should not have taken the case because of the potential conflict of interest or should at least have mentioned it in the beginning of the trial, and that there are grounds for a retrial.{{cite news |first=Emma |last=Johannisson |date=23 April 2009 |title=Domare i Pirate Bay-mål kan vara jävig |url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_2783119.svd |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv }}{{cite news |author=Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå |date=23 April 2009 |title=Sakkunnig: "PB-domaren rör sig nära gränsen" |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/sakkunnig-pb-domaren-ror-sig-nara-gransen/ |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv }} The district court itself however defended judges' membership in these types of organisations,{{cite news |date=8 June 2009 |title=Tingsrätten: Piratdomaren inte jävig |url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_3031021.svd |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv }} and it is not uncommon for lay judges to even be sitting municipal politicians.{{cite book | title= Democracy in the Courts: Lay Participation in European Criminal Justice Systems | page= 48 | first = Marijke | last= Malsch | year= 2009 | publisher= Ashgate Publishing | isbn= 978-0-7546-7405-4 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CrLLzVZfrPwC&pg=PA48 }}{{cite book | title= Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies | pages= 299–306 | last= Bell | first= John | chapter= Lay Judges | volume= 3 | year= 2004 | publisher= Hart | editor1-first= Alan | editor1-last= Dashwood | editor2-first= John | editor2-last= Bell | editor3-first= Angela | editor3-last= Ward | isbn= 978-1-84113-361-4 | chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mEIayVZORAQC&pg=PA299 | quote= The choice by the local community is now reflected in the appointment of the nämnd by the local authority. ... Nämndemän are usually chosen from members of the authority in proportion to the political representation at the last local elections. }}

Following the discovery on 23 April, Peter Sunde's lawyer Peter Althin announced that he would request for a retrial. The Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman decided not to investigate the bias since the question had already been requested to be taken up in the Svea Court of Appeal.{{cite news |first=Niklas |last=Malmborg |date=24 April 2008 |title=JO prövar inte Pirate Bay-jävet |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/jo-provar-inte-pirate-bay-javet/ |work=Dagens Nyheter |language=sv}} The court of appeal received the case on 18 May and assigned it to judge Ulrika Ihrfelt. On the question of bias, Ihrfelt stated she was a member of the Swedish Copyright Association in 2005 when working in the supreme court, but didn't consider herself biased because of this.{{cite news |first=Emma |last=Johannisson |date=19 May 2009 |title=Ihrfelt ny Pirate Bay-domare |url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_2919825.svd |work=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv }} The president of the court was requested to reassign the case,{{cite news |first=Emma |last=Johannisson |date=19 May 2009 |title=Ny Pirate Bay-domare kan vara jävig |url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_2922921.svd |work=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv }} and on 20 May it was reassigned to three judges from another court of appeal department. The district court along with the prosecutor formally defended judges' memberships in these types of organisations as a way to gain knowledge on copyright issues.{{cite news |date=12 June 2009 |title=Åklagaren: Piratdomaren inte jävig |url=http://www.blt.se/nyheter/tt_inrikes/aklagaren-piratdomaren-inte-javig(1376105).gm |publisher=Blekinge Läns Tidning |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615090744/http://www.blt.se/nyheter/tt_inrikes/aklagaren-piratdomaren-inte-javig(1376105).gm |archive-date=15 June 2009 }} The court of appeal considered it a priority case,{{cite press release |publisher=Svea Court of Appeal |date=20 May 2009 |title=Hanteringen av jävsfrågan i Pirate Bay-målet |url=http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____10938.aspx |language=sv |access-date=22 May 2009 |archive-date=26 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526192815/http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____10938.aspx |url-status=dead }} and ruled on 25 June that the judge's memberships do not constitute bias and that there would be no retrial in the district court.{{cite web |date=25 June 2009 |title=No retrial in Pirate Bay case |url=http://www.thelocal.se/20280/20090625/ |website=The Local }}{{cite press release |publisher=Svea Court of Appeal |date=25 June 2009 |title=Svea hovrätt ogillar jävsinvändningen i Pirate Bay-målet |url=http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____11044.aspx |language=sv |access-date=25 June 2009 |archive-date=21 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721210300/http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____11044.aspx |url-status=dead }}

During the preparation for the appeal trial, bias allegations were also made on the court of appeal. In Swedish appeal proceedings for criminal cases where the sentence is greater than a fine, the court usually consists of three professional judges and two lay judges.{{cite web |publisher=Sveriges Domstolar |date=11 May 2007 |title=Hearing in the Court of Appeal |url=http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_InfoPage____4525.aspx |access-date=25 September 2009 |archive-date=3 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903035114/http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_InfoPage____4525.aspx |url-status=dead }} Judge Ihrfelt, again appointed to the case, informed the parties in mid September 2009 that one of the appointed lay judges is working for the music streaming service Spotify, which is partly owned by record companies.{{cite web |date=21 September 2009 |title=New bias suspicions in Pirate Bay legal battle |url=http://www.thelocal.se/22206/20090921/ |website=The Local }} The lay judge himself didn't feel biased because of his work,{{cite news |first=Alexandra |last=Hernadi |date=21 September 2009 |title=Ännu ett misstänkt jäv i TPB-rättegång |url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_3552947.svd |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv }} but prosecuting attorney Danowsky commented that anyone both judging the case and working for Spotify has a conflict of interest.{{cite news |first=Lars-Peter |last=Hielle |date=21 September 2009 |title=Peter Sunde: "Uppenbart jäv" |url=http://www.sr.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1646&artikel=3113389 |publisher=Sveriges Radio P3 |language=sv }} Later on the same week, defense attorney Samuelsson submitted allegations to the appeal court of Ihrfelt and another professional judge being biased for their membership in the same interest groups judge Norström was investigated for.{{cite web |date=24 September 2009 |title=Bias allegations mount in Pirate Bay case |url=http://www.thelocal.se/22270/20090924/ |website=The Local }} In the court's opinion, the judges' memberships did not constitute bias, whereas the lay judges's impartiality was questionable and he was dismissed.{{cite web |publisher=Sveriges Domstolar |date=6 October 2009 |title=Svea hovrätt ogillar jävsinvändningar i Pirate Bay-målet mot två av hovrättens domare (B 4041-09) |url=http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____11265.aspx |language=sv |access-date=9 October 2009 |archive-date=9 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009043639/http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____11265.aspx |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |publisher=Sveriges Domstolar |date=29 September 2009 |title=Svea hovrätt förklarar nämndeman jävig att delta i handläggningen av Pirate Bay-målet |url=http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____11239.aspx |language=sv |access-date=9 October 2009 |archive-date=3 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003001057/http://www.domstol.se/templates/DV_Press____11239.aspx |url-status=dead }} The court's decision was appealed, and in May 2010 the supreme court affirmed the appeal court's decision on the bias question.{{cite news |first=Sofia |last=Benholm |date=9 December 2009 |title=Förstår om det kan tyckas lite konstigt |url=http://svt.se/2.27170/1.1806013/forstar_om_det_kan_tyckas_lite_konstigt |publisher=Sveriges Television |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212161736/http://svt.se/2.27170/1.1806013/forstar_om_det_kan_tyckas_lite_konstigt |archive-date=12 December 2009 }}{{cite web |first=Peter |last=Vinthagen Simpson |date=12 May 2010 |title=Pirate Bay judges ruled unbiased |url=http://www.thelocal.se/26612/20100512/ |website=The Local }}{{cite news |date=12 May 2010 |title=TPB-domare är opartiska |url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1646&artikel=3692272 |work=P3 News |publisher=Sveriges Radio |language=sv }}

Neij crop.jpg|Fredrik Neij

Anakata.jpg|Gottfrid Svartholm

Peter sunde close up.jpg|Peter Sunde

Carl lundstrom.jpg|Carl Lundström

The criminal charges against The Pirate Bay are directly supported by the following prosecution witnesses:[http://www.idg.se/polopoly_fs/1.143041!stamningsansokanpb.pdf Allmänna åklagaren v. Neij and others], Swedish Prosecutors Agency

• IFPI representing:
• Sony BMG Music Entertainment Sweden AB
• Universal Music AB
• Playground Music Scandinavia AB
• Bonnier Amigo Music Group AB
• EMI Music Sweden AB
• Warner Bros. Music Sweden AB
• Antipiratbyrån representing:
• Yellow Bird Films AB
• Nordisk Film
• Henrik Danstrup
• MAQS Law Firm Advokatbyrå KB{{cite web|url=http://www.maqs.se/ |title=MAQS Law Firm - Startpage |publisher=Maqs.se |access-date=5 October 2009}} representing:
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc
• MGM Pictures Inc
• Columbia Pictures Industries Inc
• 20th Century Fox Films Co
• Mars Media Beteiligungs GmbH & Co Filmproduktions
• Blizzard Entertainment Inc
• Sierra Entertainment Inc
• Activision Publishing Inc

After sentencing, the defendants decided to appeal the verdict of the first trial. The appeal started on 28 September 2010 and concluded on 15 October 2010.{{Cite news |author= Jenselius, Michael |title= Pirate Bay-rättegången över - dom i november |url= http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.346725/pirate-bay-rattegangen-over---dom-i-november |work= idg.se |publisher= IDG |language= sv |date= 18 October 2010 |access-date= 18 October 2010}} On 26 November 2010, the verdict was announced. In the verdict, the court found that “The Pirate Bay has facilitated illegal file sharing in a way that results in criminal liability for those who run the service.”{{Cite news |author= Fiveash, Kelly |title=Pirate Bay Verdict: Three Operators Lose Appeal |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/26/pirate_bay_appeal_verdict/ |date= 26 November 2010 |access-date= 30 November 2010}} Under the verdict, the sentences of three of the defendants would be reduced and the total fines would be increased. The fourth defendant, Gottfrid Svartholm, was not present at the time for medical reasons. His time for appeal expired on 14 October 2011, and the original 2009 sentence became legally binding for him.{{cite news |date=14 October 2011 |title=AWOL pirate's guilty verdict comes into force |url=http://www.thelocal.se/36744/20111014/ |work=The Local }}

The sentence from the appeal traded jail time for increased fines. After the initial trial, each defendant was to serve a year of jail time and pay fines just under one million dollars each.{{Cite news |author= Ernesto |title= The Pirate Bay Appeal Verdict: Guilty Again |url= http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-appeal-verdict-101126/ |date= 26 November 2010 |access-date= 30 November 2010}} After the appeal, Fredrik Neij was sentenced to 10 months, Peter Sunde to eight months, and Carl Lundstrom to four months in prison.{{Cite news |author= Bryant, Martin |title= Pirate Bay trial appeal: Defendants face $6.5m fine and jail time |date= 26 November 2010 }} The Svea Court of Appeal decided to grant all Nordic companies their full request in compensation for copyright infringement due to The Pirate Bay, with outside companies being granted smaller gains in compensation. The total fine for the three defendants was increased from 32 million Kronor to 46 million Kronor (US$6.5 million). Each defendant was issued different sentences because of individual contribution toward facilitating illegal file sharing. Instead of issuing all defendants the same sentence, they were each judged on their contribution and sentenced accordingly. However, the fine is to be paid by the three defendants present at the sentencing. The verdict was appealed to the Supreme Court.{{cite news |author=David Hässler |title=Fredrik Neij överklagar till Högsta Domstolen |url=http://www.realtid.se/fredrik-neij-overklagar-till-hogsta-domstolen |date=22 December 2010 |publisher=Realtid |language=sv}}

On 18 February 2009 the Norwegian socialist party Red began a global campaign in support of The Pirate Bay and filesharers worldwide that lasted until 1 May. The campaign was timed to coincide with the trial.{{Cite news | author= Kalstad, Lise Marit | title= Rødt med egen piratkampanje | url= http://www.vl.no/kultur/article4135697.ece | work= Vårt Land | date= 18 February 2009 | language= no | access-date= 18 February 2009 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090219165005/http://www.vl.no/kultur/article4135697.ece | archive-date= 19 February 2009 }} Through the website filesharer.org individuals were encouraged to upload their photographs, as "mugshots", to "let the music and movie industry know who the file-sharers are." The site encourages participation urging people to "Upload a picture of yourself and show them what a criminal looks like!". Red politician Elin Volder Rutle is the initiator of the campaign and she states to the media that "If the guys behind Pirate Bay are criminals, then so am I, and so are most other Norwegians."{{Cite news | title= Alle disse er kriminelle | url=http://www.nettavisen.no/it/article2546717.ece | work= Nettavisen | date= 18 February 2009 | language=no | access-date= 18 February 2009}}

The website of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) was hacked and defaced with a message to Håkan Roswall, the prosecutor in the trial. The website subsequently became inaccessible, possibly owing to a denial-of-service attack. It was shortly brought back online. Peter Sunde, one of the defendants, responded to news of the attack with the comment "Our case is going quite well as most of you have noticed. In the light of that it feels very bad that people are hacking web sites which actually puts us in a worse light than we need to be in." To the perpetrators of the attack he also pleaded, "If anyone involved in the acts going on is reading this—please stop, for our sake. We don’t need that kind of support."

During the ninth day of the trial, after the testimony of professor emeritus Roger Wallis had been completed, he was asked according to Swedish court procedures if he wanted any compensation for appearing in court. He declined this but commented to the court that they were welcome to send flowers to his wife if they wished. This was rejected by the judge but quickly caught on amongst supporters of The Pirate Bay following the proceedings via live feeds and other Internet services. A channel was started on the EFnet network on IRC and a website followed and by the evening flowers for almost SEK 40.000 (US$5,000, €3,000) had been ordered for the couple through Internet florists such as Interflora and local florists.{{cite news |first=Oscar |last=Julander |date=26 February 2009 |title=Professorn vittnade - då strömmade blommorna in |url=http://www.expressen.se/Nyheter/1.1480620/professorn-vittnade-da-strommade-blommorna-in |newspaper=Expressen |language=sv }}

• File sharing and the law
• Judicial system of Sweden
• Steal This Episode
• Telecoms Package
• Timeline of file sharing
• TPB AFK

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikinews|Swedish court finds administrators of The Pirate Bay guilty of contributory copyright infringement | Pirate Bay case: Internet group attacks websites in "Operation Baylout"}}

• {{cite web|url= http://www.idg.se/polopoly_fs/1.143041!stamningsansokanpb.pdf |title=Summons }} 31 January 2008 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20091014090753/http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/44/72/36/Pirate_ataletNY2.pdf modified] 24 February 2009), International Public Prosecution Office Stockholm {{in lang|sv}}
• [http://svtplay.se/t/102527/24direkt?sb,k105865 Sveriges Television 24 Direkt audio archive of the Pirate Bay trial] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303075040/http://svtplay.se/t/102527/24direkt?sb,k105865 |date=2009-03-03 }} {{in lang|sv}}
• {{cite web |url= http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/52/30/79/Tingsr%E4ttens%20dom.pdf |title= Judgment |url-status= dead |archive-url= http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091014091431/http://svt.se/content/1/c8/01/52/30/79/Tingsr%E4ttens%20dom.pdf |archive-date= 2009-10-14 }} {{small|(408 kB)}} ([http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/Pirate-Bay-verdict-English-translation.pdf Unofficial English translation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521010422/http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/Pirate-Bay-verdict-English-translation.pdf |date=2009-05-21 }} commissioned by IFPI) – 2009-04-17, Stockholm district court {{in lang|sv}}
• {{cite web|url= http://www.svd.se/multimedia/archive/00650/L_s_hela_Pirate_bay_650045a.pdf |title=Appeal court judgment }} - 26 November 2010, Svea Court of Appeal {{in lang|sv}}
• [https://thepiratesbay.club/ New Pirate Bay 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105063526/https://thepiratesbay.club/ |date=2020-11-05 }} Peter Sunde (Co-Founder, The Pirate Bay) - thepiratesbay.club, Column (8 December 2020)
• [https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/02/peter-sunde/ It’s Evolution, Stupid] Peter Sunde (Co-Founder, The Pirate Bay) - Wired, Column (10 February 2012)

{{The Pirate Bay}}

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