It looks like The Pirate Bay raid may have done more harm than good, at least if you're on the side of the content owners. Swedish politicians are looking towards a September election, and 5 of the 7 major political parties have agreed to look at Swedish copyright law reform, even in the face of an EU directive that prohibits "unauthorized downloading or uploading of copyright-protected files"
"The fallout from the May 31 raid on The Pirate Bay has made clear just how widespread and deeply entrenched file-sharing has become in Sweden. On-line forums have been filled with protests against the raid, and a pro-piracy demonstration in early June drew close to 1,000 people. A poll published in early June showed that three out of four Swedes between 18 and 21 supported file-sharing, even if it was illegal."
With 1 million potential votes hanging in the balance, Swedish politicians are salivating at this huge swing vote.
"As a country at the forefront of information technology, we also have to be at the forefront of how we legislate the issue. Above all, we have to say yes to technological development, and encourage people to use computers and to download." said justice minister, Thomas Bodstrom.
