How The Pirate Bay Works

Like most BitTorrent sites, the Pirate Bay requires no login to search for shared files, or to start downloading those files. From the Pirate Bay main page, just type in search criteria and click either "Pirate Search" or the Google-like option "I'm Feeling Lucky." To browse available torrents in some popular categories, use the links and checkboxes. If you're new to using BitTorrent, click "How do I download?" to link to helpful information about setting up a BitTorrent client on your home computer.

As described in How BitTorrent Works, your BitTorrent client connects to a tracker (in this case the Pirate Bay tracker) which contains torrent files. Those torrent files help you locate peers that have the file you're looking for. As you start downloading a file, you can watch how you interact with other peers in your swarm using features in your BitTorrent client. When the download is complete, you can continue to be a seeder (providing all parts of the file), or you can remain a leecher (downloading the file, but not providing the file to others after your download). To help you when selecting a torrent to download, The Pirate Bay shows the number of seeders and leechers that exist about the same time that you did your search.

What if your band wants to share its new single with Pirate Bay users, or you want to publish your book as a free download? You can do that, too, by becoming a member at the Pirate Bay. Click "Register" from the main page, complete the form, and confirm your registration from a link in your e-mail. Then, log in at the Pirate Bay, and click the "Upload torrent" link at the bottom of the page. You can add a torrent in two ways: Use this Web form directly, or use the Announce URL shown in an add torrent option in your BitTorrent client. When you add a torrent, the client uploads a torrent file to the tracker, and you can make yourself available as a seeder for that file.

Only registered Pirate Bay users have access to adult material (pornography). If the category is activated in a user's personal preferences, he or she will be able to access adult videos in his or her search results, and "Porn" becomes a searchable category from the main page. This material isn't censored, but some users report that child pornography isn't tolerated, and all material is subject to removal under the usage policy. If you're sensitive to adult material or other possible search results, be cautious when looking for downloads at the Pirate Bay.

The Pirate Bay has a large online community in its forum and its Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel. The SuprBay Forum, accessed from the "Forum" link on the main page, includes discussions on various file-sharing topics, news and announcements about the Pirate Bay, and tutorials to help new users and to answer frequently asked questions. The IRC channel (#thepiratebay.org) is hosted at irc.efnet.net, and offers you a real-time chat with playful, eager to help users who take a lot of pride in the Pirate Bay.

The Pirate Bay was founded in 2003 by Gottfrid Svartholm when he volunteered to help Piratbyrån, or the "Pirate Bureau," set up its own BitTorrent tracker. Piratbyrån is a Swedish group that openly advocates file sharing, and actively opposes limitations to sharing information and culture. The three primary operators of the Pirate Bay are Gottfrid Svartholm (alias Anakata), Peter Sunde (alias Brokep), and Fredrik Neij (alias TiAMO). Many of The Pirate Bay enthusiasts have created a supportive online community, both in a forum and an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel, to help new users and keep people informed about the site.

The Pirate Bay is just one part of the larger Kopimi Project (pronounced "copy me"). In an interview with TorrentFreak, Marvin de Kaminski of Kopimi explained that the people behind the project are a close group that has been working on Web-related projects since 2000 [source: Ernesto]. Kopimi's goal is to provide a copyright alternative, with free and uncensored Internet sharing. Kopimi sites also include blog site BayWords, image-sharing site BayImg, pastebin service PasteBay and an e-mail identity hiding service called Slopsbox. These sites are linked from the Pirate Bay main page.

The Pirate Bay manifesto, released in early 2009, is actually a short book called "POwr, Broccoli and Kopimi." The book lists the principles aimed at inspiring those wishing to live the Kopimi lifestyle. In its colorful language, the book expresses the importance that Kopimi places on freely sharing information and ideas on the Internet. As you might expect, the book is a free download from among the Pirate Bay torrents.

While copyright protection groups have threatened many Web sites for copyright violations, the Pirate Bay has openly responded to threats with bold, statements supporting their position. In fact, site operators have posted the original threats, plus their responses, on the Pirate Bay Web site. The Pirate Bay sustained and grew despite these threats, boasting more than 1 million unique users by May 2006.

Go on to the next page to read more about the legal actions that the Pirate Bay has faced.

Throughout its existence, the Pirate Bay has moved from one controversy to the next, each progressively more invasive to its operations. These conflicts are fueled by anti-piracy groups, especially the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and its international arm, the MPA. The MPAA also funded Svenska Antipiratbyrån as a direct effort to capture information about file sharers and enforce copyright laws set forth by the European Union.

The first major action against the Pirate Bay came on May 31, 2006, when Swedish police raided its server room, carrying away enough computers to fill three rental trucks. The MPAA issued a press release proclaiming the event as a major victory in its fight against copyright violations. However, determined site operators quickly had the site up again, this time in the Netherlands, only three days later. Much to the disappointment of the MPAA, the buzz generated from this single event made the Pirate Bay even more popular. Eventually, operations were moved back to Sweden.

Both sides of the battle had issues in the months following the raid. The MPA was thought to have put political pressure on law enforcement to force the raid. Sweden's constitution specifically creates a barrier that should prevent such pressure. At the same time, a Swedish newspaper revealed information that implied the Pirate Bay operators were turning a profit on ad sales. This report created doubt that the site was living its own philosophy and claims toward a selfless ideal.

After 20 months of investigation following the 2006 raid, site operators Gottfrid Svartholm, Peter Sunde, and Fredrik Neij were charged with aiding copyright violators, and of working with Carl Lundström to turn the Pirate Bay into a commercial site. The trial was held in February and March of 2009, with plantiffs including Warner Brothers, MGM, EMI, Colombia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony BMG and Universal.

During the trial, prosecutors carefully shaped their case to get a conviction and hundreds of supporters for the defendants raised their colors outside the Swedish court during the trial. The Pirate Bay and Piratbyrån not only offered bold testimonials, but also blogged about the trial at Spectrial, hosted at trial.thepiratebay.org. On April 17, 2009, the court announced a guilty verdict, with sentences including a year of jail time for each for the four charged, plus a fine of $3.6 million. News continues to unfold about how the four men will complete their sentences, and how that will impact the Pirate Bay.

As of this writing, the trial and its outcome has not run the Pirate Bay aground. The site still boasts 3.8 million registered users, 1.7 million torrents and almost 13 million peers. The fame of the trial prompted Sweden's National Museum of Science and Technology to spend 2,000 Swedish kronor (about $286) to get one of the servers confiscated in the 2006 raid. The museum announced it would add the server to a special display featuring illegal downloading.

Also, the Pirate Bay had agreed to be acquired by Global Gaming Factory for about $8.5 million. Though the prospective owners described intentions to turn the site into a legal paid services site, the Swedish stock exchange de-listed the company on allegations that it was not being truthful with its investors. Global Gaming Factory CEO Hans Pandeya released his own manifesto, of sorts, called "Thoughts About the Pirate Bay," and tech site reporters are still closely following the story.

For more information on file sharing and related topics, sail over to the next page.