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Pirate Bay goes offline after Stockholm police raid | Pirate Bay goes offline after Stockholm police raid |
(35 minutes later) | |
The Pirate Bay, arguably the most well-known website for accessing pirated content, has been taken offline following a raid in Sweden. | The Pirate Bay, arguably the most well-known website for accessing pirated content, has been taken offline following a raid in Sweden. |
Swedish police seized servers in Stockholm after a complaint was filed by a group targeting internet crime. | Swedish police seized servers in Stockholm after a complaint was filed by a group targeting internet crime. |
It is the first time in several years the site has been taken offline rather than simply blocked by filters. | It is the first time in several years the site has been taken offline rather than simply blocked by filters. |
Unexpectedly, the site's co-founder Peter Sunde - who is no longer involved - called for its permanent closure. | Unexpectedly, the site's co-founder Peter Sunde - who is no longer involved - called for its permanent closure. |
Swedish police have confirmed the raid, which took place after the complaint from the Rights Alliance. | Swedish police have confirmed the raid, which took place after the complaint from the Rights Alliance. |
"We had a crackdown on a server room in Greater Stockholm because of a copyright infringement, and yes it was Pirate Bay," said Paul Pinter, from Stockholm County Police, in an interview with Reuters. | "We had a crackdown on a server room in Greater Stockholm because of a copyright infringement, and yes it was Pirate Bay," said Paul Pinter, from Stockholm County Police, in an interview with Reuters. |
According to Torrent Freak, a site that reports on news about piracy and copyright law, the police operation took place in an area in Nacka, south-east of Stockholm. The area's mountainous terrain is used as a natural cooling system for computer servers. | According to Torrent Freak, a site that reports on news about piracy and copyright law, the police operation took place in an area in Nacka, south-east of Stockholm. The area's mountainous terrain is used as a natural cooling system for computer servers. |
Torrent Freak added that a number of smaller torrent websites, or sites related to the activity, had also gone down. | Torrent Freak added that a number of smaller torrent websites, or sites related to the activity, had also gone down. |
"We can confirm that the police has completed a raid in the facility which where we rent space for our data centre," hosting firm Portlane, which has servers located in Nacka, told the BBC. | |
"This raid was not for our company our any of our employees," a spokesperson said. It added: "It was partly directed at one of our customers." | |
Cloud strategy | Cloud strategy |
The Pirate Bay has operated for over 10 years, and in that time has become a focus for the creative industry's war on copyright infringement. It is one of the internet's most-visited websites, and the movie, music and software industries blame it for losses running into billions of pounds. | The Pirate Bay has operated for over 10 years, and in that time has become a focus for the creative industry's war on copyright infringement. It is one of the internet's most-visited websites, and the movie, music and software industries blame it for losses running into billions of pounds. |
Despite The Pirate Bay's operators being convicted of copyright violations, authorities have struggled to stop the site from operating. | Despite The Pirate Bay's operators being convicted of copyright violations, authorities have struggled to stop the site from operating. |
In the UK, internet service providers (ISPs) were ordered by the High Court to block access to the site in 2012. Other countries rolled out similar measures. | In the UK, internet service providers (ISPs) were ordered by the High Court to block access to the site in 2012. Other countries rolled out similar measures. |
The effectiveness of such blocks has been disputed. Sites will evade them by changing domains, or users will utilise proxies to circumvent them. | The effectiveness of such blocks has been disputed. Sites will evade them by changing domains, or users will utilise proxies to circumvent them. |
The Swedish raid steps up the effort to stop people reaching The Pirate Bay by knocking the site itself offline, although for how long is unclear. | The Swedish raid steps up the effort to stop people reaching The Pirate Bay by knocking the site itself offline, although for how long is unclear. |
Prof Alan Woodward, a security expert who has been working with European authorities to shut down illegal sites, said: "There have been raids before from which Pirate Bay has recovered. | |
"Recently they have taken steps moving their infrastructure to be more distributed as a way of being more resistant to raids, so I would imagine they will reappear in some form." | |
In 2012, The Pirate Bay announced it was to move its site to the cloud - internet-based storage, which can be shared across a variety of locations - so that raids would apparently be ineffective. | In 2012, The Pirate Bay announced it was to move its site to the cloud - internet-based storage, which can be shared across a variety of locations - so that raids would apparently be ineffective. |
Indifference | Indifference |
At the time, the site said: "The site that you're at will still be here, for as long as we want it to. Only in a higher form of being. A reality to us. A ghost to those who wish to harm us." | At the time, the site said: "The site that you're at will still be here, for as long as we want it to. Only in a higher form of being. A reality to us. A ghost to those who wish to harm us." |
That confidence in the site's agility appeared misguided as it remained unreachable well into Wednesday. | That confidence in the site's agility appeared misguided as it remained unreachable well into Wednesday. |
But according to Peter Sunde, it will be indifference that closes the site, rather than police action. | But according to Peter Sunde, it will be indifference that closes the site, rather than police action. |
"News just reached me that The Pirate Bay has been raided, again," he wrote in a blog post. | "News just reached me that The Pirate Bay has been raided, again," he wrote in a blog post. |
"That happened over eight years ago last time. That time, a lot of people went out to protest and rally in the streets. Today few seem to care. And I'm one of them. | "That happened over eight years ago last time. That time, a lot of people went out to protest and rally in the streets. Today few seem to care. And I'm one of them. |
"Why, you might ask? Well. For multiple reasons. But most of all, I've not been a fan of what TPB has become." | "Why, you might ask? Well. For multiple reasons. But most of all, I've not been a fan of what TPB has become." |
He bemoaned the level of advertising found on the site and criticised what he called a lack of "soul" in the community. | He bemoaned the level of advertising found on the site and criticised what he called a lack of "soul" in the community. |
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC | Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC |