Pirates at bay.

Peter Sunde, co founder of Pirate Bay, has been arrested after 2 years on the run. He was sentenced to 8 months in jail and an enormous fine for file sharing.

As a writer and musician, I should be jumping for joy that this ‘pirate’ has been caught.

Not at all. Here in Spain a court has just ruled that file sharing is legal, and I totally agree. That the huge companies that for years have controlled the cultural market failed to do their homework, failed to see that the digital copy was going to destroy their business, is not my concern.

New ways to wrap culture in commerce are emerging, as was inevitable. Streaming, free digital copies with the ‘real’ product, signed copies etc. Business will survive.

In the meantime the distribution of music, video, literature and the like has gained enormously.

All my works are available in free digital format. I prefer the exposure to the meagre dollar or so that can be gleaned from such files. Not so hard copies, printed books or c.d.’s which have costs involved.

I use Pirate Bay. It is an excellent way to try out material that you are not too sure of without having to lay out 20 euros for the original product. If I am convinced, I often prefer to get my hands on the full enhanced product.

Free this man. Let the entertainment industry sort itself out and find ways of making money, but don’t punish this man for being bold and pushing the barriers of the digital world into the future.