Cambodia to deport Pirate Bay co-founder
Cambodia said Tuesday that it would deport a co-founder of The Pirate Bay filesharing website who faces a one-year prison sentence in Sweden for promoting copyright infringement.
Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, 27, was arrested in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Thursday at Sweden's request. But the two countries have no extradition treaty and it is unclear when and where he will be deported.
"We have decided to deport him from Cambodia according to our immigration laws," national police spokesman Kirth Chantharith said, adding that the decision was made after talks between Swedish and Cambodian authorities.
"When he is out of Cambodia it is up to the Swedish authorities to do whatever is needed to bring him back to their country. They are ready to handle this and they have experience with such cases," Kirth said.
The Swedish embassy in Phnom Penh declined to comment on the case.
Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay -- which boasts more than 30 million users -- makes it possible to skirt copyright fees and share music, film and other files using bit torrent technology, or peer-to-peer links offered on the site.
Warg's fellow co-founders Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde, as well as financier Carl Lundström, all had their 12-month sentences reduced to between four and 10 months on appeal in late 2010.
They were ordered to pay a total of 46 million kronor ($6.9 million) in damages for copyright infringement to the music and movie industry.
Warg did not attend his appeal hearing and his one-year sentence was upheld. An international warrant was issued for his arrest.
During their trial, the defendants maintained that file-sharing services can be used both legally and illegally, and insisted their activities were within the law.
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Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, 27, was arrested in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Thursday at Sweden's request. But the two countries have no extradition treaty and it is unclear when and where he will be deported.
"We have decided to deport him from Cambodia according to our immigration laws," national police spokesman Kirth Chantharith said, adding that the decision was made after talks between Swedish and Cambodian authorities.
"When he is out of Cambodia it is up to the Swedish authorities to do whatever is needed to bring him back to their country. They are ready to handle this and they have experience with such cases," Kirth said.
The Swedish embassy in Phnom Penh declined to comment on the case.
Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay -- which boasts more than 30 million users -- makes it possible to skirt copyright fees and share music, film and other files using bit torrent technology, or peer-to-peer links offered on the site.
Warg's fellow co-founders Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde, as well as financier Carl Lundström, all had their 12-month sentences reduced to between four and 10 months on appeal in late 2010.
They were ordered to pay a total of 46 million kronor ($6.9 million) in damages for copyright infringement to the music and movie industry.
Warg did not attend his appeal hearing and his one-year sentence was upheld. An international warrant was issued for his arrest.
During their trial, the defendants maintained that file-sharing services can be used both legally and illegally, and insisted their activities were within the law.
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