In response to this I downloaded the top 40 selling music CDs and the top 10 film DVDs.

Then I wiped them all off my harddrive.

Just think how much I cash deprived from the UK music/film industries. That'll teach them.

(BTW has the judge never heard of VPNs, TOR, proxies?).

Typical the British government is over reacting to help the BPI , but couldn't do less for a member of the British public who goes to the police to report internet card fraud. Despite internet card fraud being the domain of large criminal gangs, drawn there by its easy money and near zero chance of action by the authorities. They know the police couldn't be less helpfull and you just get laughed out of the police station.

I guess the government just want to kill off the Music and Film Industry alltogether. What they should have done is made sure that Pirate Bay charge each downloader a fee for their service and then pay a small percentage to the origional artist. The reason why sites like Pirate Bay have become so popular, is because people cant afford to Rent Movies or go to the Cinema anymore... Its just too darn expensive !!.

Dont worry, another one will be along soon enough.

Its already so hard for any young musicians to make enough money to live, without having all of their ideas and compositions stolen as soon as they are uploaded on the internet.
Where do some of these people who condone the practice of stealing from artists think that artist's living is going to come from???
If something isn't done to protect copyright there won't be any young sucessful artists...all we'll have are part timers playing for £50 a night in pubs...there won't be any recording studios or record labels investing in young artists......then where will all the free downloads come from??

Big Al

I wonder how many people out there have never had some kind of copied cd or software.If most are honest they have.It part of the culture of saving money where you can and if you can get away with it then the risk is the individuals. We all know itis wrong but if someone offers you £200 worth of software you really want for free what do you say?Tempting is it not?

I admit I use file-sharing sites, quite regularly in fact. I do this, not due to the zero-cost; but because it is so easy, it is DRM free, I get it immediately after release in other countries - which is fair, it's in consistently high quality, it is easy to transfer to watch onto other formats and I can watch it as many times as I like. This is what the New Technological Generation demands and deserves!

Getting my media via file-sharing, I am treated equally, and like a human being. I don't feel used, or like I'm walled in to a specific company garden for the rest of my life. There are some examples of a few companies who have championed a well run walled garden. Apple's iTunes, at least for music/apps, is one of them, but even they have their limitations and downsides.

By and large media production companies have not moved with the zeitgeist, and have resisted it and done their best to hinder it. Hulu and netflix et al have now partially filled this gap in our society. Change is scary, but history is full of examples of how you will eventually become obsolete unless you change with the times. This is no different, and I look forward to our new media revolution. Bring it on, and bring down the media companies. We need fresh blood, especially in the music industry which has been stagnating for the past 10 years! Simon Bloody COWELL!!

So another P2P site bloked because it's members share their love of music and film with their freinds - but don't pay the artist or filmaker for thier royalties - depriving them of monies to enhance their caeers in a cut throat industry - In that case why are we allowed to use Facebook or Twitter where the exact same content can be shared
As for the ISP's that just makes me laugh at least with P2P File sharing you can choose what you share and its format Unlike Sky who charge you to watch a show or a music event and litter it with so many junk adds and product palcements and just to complete the insult advertise its own products and services 'telling us how much more it promisies - just like our politicians great until the time comes to deliver - new for you sky if I want to spend my time watching my fav show or band I do not enjoy spending 6 mins out of evey 15 waiting for the ads to finish

Hypocrisy at its best. All of the Western governments oppose internet censorship programs such as the Great Firewall of China, and other programs in countries like Iran, yet Britain thinks that The Pirate Bay should be blocked because it's "infringing copyright"?! One of our most important civil rights will be taken away from us! This IS censorship!

Are people annoyed that they feel a civil liberty is been taken from them. Or is it that they can not now get pirated copies of films, music, games etc. And i bet most on here who are against shutting pirate bay down were up in arms when rioters in England were taking stuff without paying for it. Theft is theft never mind how you do it.

So Its ok for you to download a film for free but your all against it if a person steals from a shop. Hypocrites does not even cover it.

Ain't it amazing...Another nanny state ruling.. Everyone else in the world can use it except UK..typical

I remember one similar going down about 6 months ago before pirate bay got popular, once pirate bay gets shut down another will come up, it always happens and always will

Be prepared, this only the beginning...

The economy is well down the tubes and dropping faster than the euro. We are being taxed to the hilt and now the govt have found something that they can't fleece us for. If they can't get money out of us for downloading some music and vids then they try to close it. Get the country back on track first before poking about in peoples private lives. They do too much of that already.