Operators of file-sharing giant Pirate Bay get prison time
It maybe the biggest victory yet in the entertainment industry’s ongoing battle against file-sharers. A Swedish court today convicted four men of copyright infringement for running a massive site where some 20 million users were downloading music, films and video games. More important, the court handed each of the men a year in jail–a significant disincentive to anyone considering filling their shoes. The name of the site alone spoke to the defiance of online sharers: “Pirate Bay” was a deliberate poke at the likes of Sony and Time Warner, and the industry is predictably pleased with the outcome of the case. But they might want to hold the celebrations, as analysts say Internet users have found new ways to share copyrighted material, from streaming to messaging.