Warner Brothers Hires Lead Police Investigator On The Pirate Bay Lawsuit
from the conflicts-of-interest dept
Stephen Holthaus writes in to point us to a press release from The Pirate Bay about the fact that the chief police inspector who built the case against the Pirate Bay in Sweden has now been hired by Warner Brothers. Unfortunately, it seems like the folks at the Pirate Bay may be overplaying this news, implying that he was employed by Warner Brothers while conducting the investigation. Instead, the details show that he merely switched jobs last month. That's not as scandalous as the Pirate Bay folks make it out to be. While they do have a point in suggesting that some of his investigative work may have been part of the "job interview," it's not unreasonable that Warner Brothers would decide to hire someone who had the experience this investigator had. After all, the RIAA and all of the major record labels have a history of hiring former law enforcement officials (no matter how pointless their "anti-piracy" efforts are). So, while it may call into question the guy's objectivity during the trial, the guys at the Pirate Bay probably should tone down the moral outrage on this one.
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Filed Under: investigation, pirate bay, sweden
Companies: pirate bay, warner brothers
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I dunno
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Tone down what?
I work with databases and front end software and it took me months to get the job. Are you really suggesting Keyzer suddenly decided to change his career and give up his public service pension and rewards and got the job inside a couple of weeks? It doesn't work that way on this side of the pond.
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Remember that they have laws that expressly forbid collusion from outside parties (I.e. corporations and lobbyists) with lawmakers/government officials.
Its more than reasonable to expect that something similar covers their law enforcement people from being influenced or manipulated during a highly sensitive investigation; not to mention the need to protect innocents from harassment from police doing the bidding of thier vengeful corporate masters.
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Re:
if there's evidence of collusion, that's one thing. It's not clear at this point that there is. Going from a gov't job to an industry job (especially where you've worked with companies in the industry before) is not uncommon.
I agree it's worth looking into, but no one has presented any evidence that there was a biased decision made here.
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Re: Re:
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eh, some issues here
It's not the magic switch that shows enough collusion, but people do not get hired overnight. If they do, is even more suspicious and typically against hiring policy at any company in the world.
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Re: eh, some issues here
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It is an ongoing investigation
He didn't even testify yet... how can he NOT be incompetent as witness?
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Thanks.
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How this is not...
I would be yelling louder than those guys at the Pirate Bay on this one, this seriously looks like Warner is just taking care of an inside man for some favors he pulled previously. That or they promised to take care of him, and something about this case is so botched that it would cost this officer his job, and they owe him one. Either way - this is beyond any reasonable law enforcement practice, and this man should be held from testimony.
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Re: How this is not...
If he was hired to conduct piracy investigations, then they're very much related.
The record labels have hired many former prosecutors and law enforcement officials for the job.
I agree that it's dumb, and it may cause problems in this case, but it's not so out of the ordinary as people are making it out to be.
this man should be held from testimony.
On that I agree.
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Mikey, Mikey, Mikey
Nuff said.
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WB....
It reminds me of that guy in California whom tried to patent the "Mexican Red Beans",
Or when Phlip Zimermann introduced the PGP.
Pirate Bay is providing a platform which has been missing for a long, long time.
Democracy is based on DISSENSION.
Here is more than a "Not accepting the Estblishment's GAGGING ORDER" at stake.
By the way, it may be relevant, to remind ourselves what is going on right under our nose in respect to our present situation where every single e-mail, telephone conversation etc. has been monitored and recorded for years.
Silence is NOT an option when it comed to civil liberty and freedom of expression.
The Pirate Bay must be supported by ALL.
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could also be
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Mike and the Free Market
Sometimes Mike seems to get a little carried away with the idea that "the market" should replace government regulation. When taken too far that idea supports the notion that "the market" can determine who's been naughty and who's been nice and will punish wrong doers accordingly without government intervention. In such a world "morality" is only determined by the market.
So, I disagree with the statement that "...the Pirate Bay probably should tone down the moral outrage on this one." I think they are perfectly right to display moral outrage in this case and should also push for government action in response.
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A severe lack of common sense
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Re: A severe lack of common sense
Now that's hilarious. That would certainly be the first time anyone ever accused me of being on the big record labels' side. Have you ever read a thing I've written on this site before? Repeatedly I've been accused of trying to destroy the record labels, and here you are suggesting I'm a shill?
Yikes. Get a grip.
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To Mike and others
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where's yer seein-eye dog, ump?
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