the pirate bay is being sold

[karlmp]

Podcast with Peter Sunde on the GGF’s acquisition of The Pirate Bay

http://www.whatsnext.se/2009/06/30/podcast-with-peter-sunde-on-the-ggfs-accquisition-of-the-pirate-bay/

[monsterstack]

Yowzer! This is rather a surprise. From the TorrentFreak article (http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-sold-to-software-company-goes-legal-090630/) posted this morning:


Software company Global Gaming Factory X (GGF) says it is in the process of acquiring The Pirate Bay and file-sharing technology company Peerialism. GGF claims to have the biggest network of internet cafés and gaming centers in the world.

The changeover of ownership is scheduled for August 2009, whereby GGF will take over the operation of the site.

The company says that after it has completed the acquisition it will launch new business models so that copyright owners get paid, which is clearly a huge diversion from TPB’s previous modus operandi.

“We would like to introduce models which entail that content providers and copyright owners get paid for content that is downloaded via the site,” said Hans Pandeya, CEO GGF.

If true, this pretty much means you can kiss goodbye to the Pirate Bay. It'll become a pointless site, with no diehard fans, rather like Napster did. Bummer.

[conundrumx]

It's really a shame, but you have to consider the legal precedent established in the trial TPB owners lost. Even if they win on appeals, other companies could come after them. Better to cash in on the name for $8 million and walk away.

[Junkieman]

So GGF is cashing in on TPB's popularity, and swinging it around into a legal commercial site? Wow talk about gaining from someone else's misfortune.

Hey someone was bound to do it, but hopefully sites like legal torrents (http://www.legaltorrents.com/) will pick up the fallout.

[JohnFH]

If true, this pretty much means you can kiss goodbye to the Pirate Bay.

Excellent news! It won't stop people downloading illegally though, but it will make it slightly more difficult.

[1cewolf]

It's really a shame, but you have to consider the legal precedent established in the trial TPB owners lost. Even if they win on appeals, other companies could come after them. Better to cash in on the name for $8 million and walk away.

Exactly. Besides, just like when Napster, Kazaa, etc, went down, something else will pop up in its place.

[magmon]

Meh, they'll have to change the name. It wont be pirates downloading if you gotta pay.

[monsterstack]

Excellent news! It won't stop people downloading illegally though, but it will make it slightly more difficult.

Error. Here is the what happens with file-sharing networks:


Service appears offering free downloads of copyrighted material
Content companies shut the service down
Another service appears to replace it, which is harder to control, and more decentralised


It began with Napster

then Audio Galaxy came along


then Supernova came along



then Minivova came along




after the pirate bay, people will simply use Demonoid and or isoHunt.

P2P is like a hydra. If you cut off one of the heads, it simply grows another. The only way to stop P2P is to simultaneously disconnect every single computer connected to the internet. Good luck with that, by the way.

Hurray for P2P!

[magmon]

Yeah, I agree, p2p is one of those things that will never truely go away. And mininova ftw, lol.

[CharmyBee]

Not only a hydra, but the media sure loves to bring attention towards it when the MPAA/RIAA starts making the news about it, which kind of defeats their point trying to put an end to it :lolflag:

(I don't p2p myself though, so i have 0% remorse of the situations of any tracker site, since I *never* had the need to use one.)

[SunnyRabbiera]

It will never end, pirate bay might be the new napster but soon there will be another one.
Just wait.

[drawkcab]

I still miss torrentspy.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Well internet piracy will never die as long as you got cleaver hackers and crackers out there setting up shop.
They are putting a band aid on a broken leg.

[johnb820]

All hail the hypercube. Congrats to the pirate bay for their years of effort in providing public torrenting.

[Dimitriid]

Piratebay still has some decent files but demonoid is way better nowadays.

[swoll1980]

I can't, for the life of me, figure out why the hell anyone in their right mind would pay $8,000,000 for it. That's just insane.

[kamitsukai]

I can't, for the life of me, figure out why the hell anyone in their right mind would pay $8,000,000 for it. That's just insane.

Brand name and having a domain in the top 50 visited websites (or the top something)

[karlmp]

Cash for Pirate Bay file-sharers

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8128551.stm