The political party Red in Norway issued a press release earlier this morning, as a part of their new campaign "This is what a criminal looks like":
I'll quote briefly from the website:
File-sharing is good, allowing people to share music, movies and culture. Today four of the pioneers of file-sharing are on trial in Sweden, in yet another attempt by the movie and music industries to stop technological innovation and development by force.
But it is not the people behind the Pirate Bay who have shared files. It is us, the millions who use their site. They've got the wrong people. We won't go away even if the prosecution should win this case, nor will the technology disappear that lets us share the music and films we love.
Let the music and movie industry know who the file-sharers are.
The press release:
– You cannot outlaw the future
The Party Red (Rødt) of Norway closely follows the trial against the web site The Pirate Bay in Sweden, and whole-heartedly supports the file sharers. — This is about choosing the side of the future, thinks Elin Volder Rutle, Red's second candidate for Oslo in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
— It is almost sad to witness how a desperate industry clings to it's millions, trying to blame its troubles on a handful of Swedes who have enabled file sharing for people, says Volder Rutle.
The party Red has launched the campaign site filesharer.org, calling on everyone who shares files, and wants file sharing to be legal, to upload their pictures and show their support for The Pirate Bay.
— File sharing is becoming one of our most important means of exchanging information. If the guys behind The Pirate Bay are criminals, the so am I and most other Norwegians, comments the Red politician.
— That is what we want to show with this campaign. The industry has picked someone to blame, while everyone sees that the law is out of sync with reality. According to the law file sharing is criminal, but it is both impossible and meaningless to try to stop progress.
— If you are going to punish all who share files, you need to start at A in the phone book, says Volder Rutle ironically.
The party Red's second candidate thinks file sharing also has an important aspect not tied to the entertainment industry.
— We live in an age when sharing information is easier than it has ever been before. Through file sharing scientists all over the world can cooperate on large research projects. We want intellectual achievements, information and knowledge to benefit the community by sharing it and developing it in common. The alternative is letting the few grow rich by controlling information that could could have benefited the great majority, Elin Volder Rutle says.
— Run, industry leaders! The future is coming for you! ends a smiling Volder Rutle.
For further comments or interviews, contact Elin Volder Rutle at +47 992 49 188 or Mimir Kristjansson at +47 932 69 961.
Which can be found here, both in English and Norwegian (bokmål):
http://filesharer.org/you_cannot_outlaw_the_future
Best regards,