TPB goes legit?!

[Arclight]

The Pirate Bay has been purchased and is perhaps looking to go legit. Software company Global Gaming Factory X AB has shelled out approximately US$7.8 million for the site.

http://kotaku.com/5304376/the-pirate-bay-purchased

All hands abandon ship!

[Jimbuna]

And abot time too

[Morts]

*******

[SteamWake]

Ummm doesent the very fact that they are 'going legit' diminish the lure of the site?

Folks will invest in the strangest things these days. I saw the other day you could buy shares in facebook and twitter.

Another pets.com boom / bust ?

[Dowly]

Meh. Dont care what will happen when the new owners take control. I mean, it's not like TPB is the only site of that kind around.

And the fact is, TPB is so big, that nobody even tries to compete with it. If it shuts down or gets screwed up some other way, 3 new TPB like sites will step up and compete to be the biggest and most popular.

Ow, I mean... not that I use any of that torrent stuff. BOO!! Down with the pirates!!

[Arclight]

The guys buying TPB are (probably) considering that piracy is a symptom of an industry clinging to old business models. It's been stated many times that a lot of pirates wouldn't pirate if there was a proper distribution model in place. Whether or not this is true might finally be proven.


For it to work, they do need to get a few things right though:

• Pricing - has to be lower than over the counter, since there are no costs for distribution to outlets and there being less intermediaries.
• Proof of ownership - should data be lost after initial download, it needs to be available again without additional cost, limitations (say, limited number of downloads), or correspondance by e-mail or phone spanning several days fighting for your rights.
• Multiple formats and quality options (absolutely key)
• Don't forbid people to back-up the data or play it back on some other device. If I DL a movie, I want to be able to put it on a disc and play it on a DVD player, or copy it to a portable device and watch it on the road.

Sadly, I think the studios and record companies will stop a proper system from materializing, once again whining about possible lost revenue, like a spoiled little brat throwing a sugar-induced hissy fit, because he's denied another cookie after consuming half a box.

Still, it's another sign BitTorrent is finding acceptance, instead of being regarded as purely a way for people to share stuff illegally. It offers a number of advantages over traditional downloads, such as interupting and continuing the DL at will without loss of progress, and no more failed downloads.

[mookiemookie]

Not so fast...

http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/co...te_bay/c0aow1t

This is good for them actually.

Yes, it's true.

News reached the press today in Sweden - The Pirate Bay might get aquired by Global Gaming Factory X AB.

A lot of people are worried. We're not and you shouldn't be either!

TPB is being sold for a great bit underneath it's value if the money would be the interesting part. It's not. The interesting thing is that the right people with the right attitude and possibilities keep running the site.
As all of you know, there's not been much news on the site for the past two-three years. It's the same site essentially. On the internets, stuff dies if it doesn't evolve. We don't want that to happen.

We've been working on this project for many years. It's time to invite more people into the project, in a way that is secure and safe for everybody. We need that, or the site will die. And letting TPB die is the last thing that is allowed to happen!

If the new owners will screw around with the site, nobody will keep using it. That's the biggest insurance one can have that the site will be run in the way that we all want to. And - you can now not only share files but shares with people. Everybody can indeed be the owner of The Pirate Bay now. That's awesome and will take the heat of us.

The old crew is still around in different ways. We will also not stop being active in the politics of the internets - quite the opposite. Now we're fueling up for going into the next gear. TPB will have economical muscles to let people evolve it. It will team up with great technicians to evolve the protocols. And we, the people interested in more than just technology, will have the time to focus on that. It's win-win-win.

The profits from the sale will go into a foundation that is going to help with projects about freedom of speech, freedom of information and the openess of the nets. I hope everybody will help out in that and realize that this is the best option for all. Don't worry - be happy!

http://thepiratebay.org/blog/164

[Arclight]

My Pirate, My Friend

[XabbaRus]

But is it worth $7.8 million? What are the assets, what do they own that makes them worth $7.8 million?

[NeonSamurai]

Name recognition for one thing, also the server farm and software they set up.