Pirate Bay files police report alleging piracy by pro-copyright organization

The Pirate Bay reported an anti-piracy organization to Finnish police on Monday for allegedly breaching its copyright.

The Copyright Information and Anti-Piracy Center (CIAPC) recently launched a website that imitates the appearance of The Pirate Bay, replacing the pirate ship logo with one featuring a sinking ship, and substituting the usual torrent search links with links to two directories of legal download services.

Although The Pirate Bay explicitly gives permission for organizations to use the site's content for "obvious well meaning usage, i.e. distributing works of cultural benefit for the end user," it said it will proceed with a lawsuit against CIAPC.

"CIAPC have copied files from which The Pirate Bay is built, to produce a fraudulent parody site," The Pirate Bay said, adding that in many countries this could constitute fair use for the purposes of parody -- but not under Finnish law.

"While The Pirate Bay may have a positive view on copying, it will not stand by and watch copyright enforcing organizations disrespect copyright," says a Pirate Bay statement.

The Pirate Bay was launched in 2003 and is run by dozens of individuals around the world. After a Swedish court ruling in 2009 gave jail terms for the founders of the site, the current organizers prefer to remain anonymous.

CIAPC aims to "prevent the production, distribution and import of unauthorized copies and recordings and put a stop to other acts that infringe copyright legislation". And managing director Antti Kotilainen told local media that a legal challenge would be a good thing if it forced The Pirate Bay's owners to identify themselves.

The Pirate Bay added that any money it might be awarded by the courts would go towards a new computer for a nine-year-old Finnish girl whose Winnie the Pooh laptop was confiscated following a CIAPC-instigated police raid.

Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @BrusselsGeek or email tips and comments to jennifer_baker@idg.com.