Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Corporate-Owned Justice

Prison assignments for The Pirate Bay convicts have been finalized by the Swedish government. The four founders of the guide, which lists bittorrent information, were sentenced to imprisonment and fined nearly US$4.5 million (30 million Swedish kronor). Any of their assets are liable for seizure, the fines remain unpaid.

So the Government of Sweden, along with the U.S. Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), seem to have broken further threat from these criminals.

Is this proper? I don't think so.

The logic that convicted these publishers should threaten a newspaper publisher whose paper is used to start a fire. It condemns the postman for delivering mail, and auto industry executives when their product is misused in a crime. Librarians are thus evildoers.

Who should bear the burden to protect & to censor? The systems protecting industrial rights and intellectual property are failing, with major, fundamental inadequacies. Why should taxpayers foot the bill, and pay to protect unguarded assets? Rights holders should be interested in protecting the system. Are they investing appropriately? It is unworkable & non-sustainable to push government officials to simply shoot the messenger.