“Internet censorship is growing in scope and becoming easier. Yet it never has the effect desired. It simply turns criminals into heroes.” -Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group.

Former The Pirate Bay spokesperson, Peter Sunde (alias “Brokep”) has submitted an official plea for pardon to the Swedish Administration.

On April 17th 2009, “Brokep” along with three other TPB associates were sentenced to one year in jail.

They also have to pay well over 10 million euros in damages.

You may sign a petition to support Brokep’s plea on Avaaz.org (opens in new window).

Brokep’s plea can be read in full on his own blog, translated in English (opens in new window).

Meanwhile, recent numbers are showing that the effectiveness of the UK’s law enforced ISP-wide banning of access to The Pirate Bay, has been insignificant.

An UK ISP told the BBC that a significant dip in file sharing activity was seen immidiately after the controversial ban took effect.

However, according to BBC’s source, just one week later, file-sharing activity returned to “just below normal”.

In response to hearing this, the BPI (the music industry trade body in the UK) is promising that they will continue to work hard to further more censorship and invasion of privacy to protect the interests of the record industry’s deeper-than-ever pockets.

Also just in: a new report claims that the record industry may have set innovation in digital distribution of media content back by ten (10) years.

As the report, written by Michael A. Carrier points out, unethical foul play was made by the record industry.

They totally screwed over all consumers ever since Napster was shut down.

It makes a prime example of the record industry, showing just exactly how someone with too much money and power, can effectively halt innovation in a whole sector, doing almost immeasurable damage to the industry as a whole.

We’re still not seeing official services from the content owners even close to competing with the level of quality, content and not least availability that consumers are expecting, and getting used to through their “illegal”, free download alternatives..

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