File sharer: my computer was hit by lightning
A flash of lightning has spared the blushes of Ivar Wenster, head of culture in the southern Swedish city of Karlskrona, who caused quite a storm during the summer when he admitted to illegally downloading music from the Internet.
Wenster, who heads up the culture department for the local municipality, was reported to the police after admitting to file-sharing. But when lightning struck his home this summer it destroyed his computer, which held the technical evidence required by the prosecutor. The charges against him have been dropped as a result.
"The police actually laughed when I told them," said Wenster, speaking to The Local.
"It is of course a personal tragedy when your computer is burnt out. And it wasn't just my computer; it was my children's and wife's too," said Wenster.
Despite what has happened, Wenster is determined to keep file sharing on the agenda.
"File sharing is an important cultural issue. There are important changes in the way culture is shared and it is vital that we adapt to these changes while also ensuring that artists get paid," Wenster told The Local.
He does not believe that his computer was struck by lightning as a punishment for illegal file sharing.
"Maybe if you believe in God you might see it that way. But no, I don't think so."
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Wenster, who heads up the culture department for the local municipality, was reported to the police after admitting to file-sharing. But when lightning struck his home this summer it destroyed his computer, which held the technical evidence required by the prosecutor. The charges against him have been dropped as a result.
"The police actually laughed when I told them," said Wenster, speaking to The Local.
"It is of course a personal tragedy when your computer is burnt out. And it wasn't just my computer; it was my children's and wife's too," said Wenster.
Despite what has happened, Wenster is determined to keep file sharing on the agenda.
"File sharing is an important cultural issue. There are important changes in the way culture is shared and it is vital that we adapt to these changes while also ensuring that artists get paid," Wenster told The Local.
He does not believe that his computer was struck by lightning as a punishment for illegal file sharing.
"Maybe if you believe in God you might see it that way. But no, I don't think so."
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