Pirate Bay founders get rich in jail

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Swedish software company Global Gaming Factory X AB said on Tuesday it had agreed to buy free file-sharing website The Pirate Bay, and that it would find ways to compensate copyright owners for downloaded material.

The four Swedish men behind the website were sentenced in April to one year in jail and ordered to pay damages of 3.6 million dollars for running the site, which is one of the world’s largest for downloading files on the Internet.

The PirateBay founders are NOT in jail!!! They are free on appeal.

Please get your facts straight and spare us this type of dishonest and sensationalistic headlining. It is sad to see Reuters going down the road of tabloid journalism.

Matt B.

Is this true? In Sweden one does not serve a sentence until the appeals process ends. Their conviction came from the lowest Swedish court and now they are appealing to the district (which will most likely end up being seen before the Supreme court before this is over and done with.

I just think it is unfair to say they are making money while in jail while to the best of my knowledge the verdict is not yet lawful and they are still free men.

John L,

A number of readers noticed this one. The headline was correct on most of our services, but unfortunately was rewritten in the online version: GBU Editor

Pirate Bay co-founders Fredrik Neij (L), Gottfrid Svartholm (C) and Peter Sunde leave the city court after the last day of argument’s in their copyright trial in Stockholm March 3, 2009. REUTERS/Bob Strong