Chief editor of Norwegian magazine Dine Penger wrote a supremely lazy column (Googlified english version) a couple days ago taking sides in The Pirate Bay trial. I think it’s great that the question of file sharing and the current state of copyright and the music industry is getting discussed in the media; about time that it happened, but it’s not helpful when it comes in the form of opinion pieces from first principles when the world has moved towards a much more fruitful, and interesting, debate.

Staavi’s column is a mash-up of the arguments used almost 10 years ago in the Napster heyday, “file sharing is stealing” (complete with the bonus followup, the old stealing a car comparison).  The piece starts out by stating that there’s absolutely no doubt The Pirate Bay guys are guilty, and then goes on to say that the proof is in the fact that sharing copyrighted works with the entire world is illegal.  Staavi can’t have missed the

I’ll let you read it for yourself, I just wanted to highlight his conclusion, no doubt intended to be the final blow (my translation):

When the file sharers and the people behind try to describe themselves as white knights with a political agenda, one can only laugh out loud.  I’ll take them seriously the day they get involved politically in the fight.  Until that happens, it is the task of the police and justice system to find and punish criminals and the people behind.

I’ll help Staavi out:  clicking this link will take you to the Twingly blog search when you can read up about the swedish PiratPartiet.  And clicking this link takes you to the site of the Norwegian party Venstre, where you can read up on the debates they’ve had on the subject.

Enjoy, and welcome back with an informed opinion, regardless what side of the fence you land on. Lazy columnist