Norwegian Police Deal Massive Blow to MPAA Lawyer
Pirate-chasing lawyer Espen Tøndel has been told by the police that they will not spend their valuable resources chasing file-sharers. Undeterred, Tøndel wrote to the Department of Justice demanding a meeting about the police’s decision. They responded all right - and denied him a meeting.
Today, Norway appears to be a much safer country for petty file sharers. The Hollywood lawyer Espen Tøndel has been told by Kripos (serious crime police) that they will not be spending time investigating small-time pirates.
Like many lawyers in the anti-piracy arena, Tøndel tries to blur civil and criminal law to obtain leverage. The police are clear - their priority is investigating real crimes, such as murder and robbery and sadly for him, file-sharing does not fall into those categories. Tøndel must now make his claims against alleged pirates in a civil court.
Following this major setback, Tøndel wrote to the Department of Justice and demanded a meeting with them. He complained that copyright holders need to go through the criminal system as without the help of the police, all they have is an IP address. They cannot sue an IP address, they need a real name and identity.
Unfortunately for Tøndel, the response wasn’t what he’d been hoping for -the Department of Justice completely refused him a meeting- leaving him to start suing IP addresses, which he’s not allowed to do. Ouch.
On Sunday, Trond Giske, Minister of Culture in Norway told VG.no: “We have no plans to do anything similar to the Brits. To identify the users is quite a substantial process, so we plan to focus on only those who upload movies and music illegally. We are cooperating closely with the industry, and are well aware of the money they are loosing because of the illegal downloading.”
Norwegian political commentators are suggesting that Norway’s biggest political party and government, Arbeiderpartiet, aren`t going to change their policy on this because they are afraid of losing votes amongst the 18 to 30 year olds.
So can Norwegian file-sharers feel safe from prosecution now? “No, they can’t. I’m just saying that we will use most of our resources on those who uploads illegally” said Giske in a tone suggesting it’s only serious uploaders who need to take care.
Back in November 2007, Tøndel reported 14 people to the police for sharing the movie, ‘Kill Buljo’, even though the director of the movie didn’t agree with this course of action. I expect there are at least 14 BitTorrent fans smiling today, shortly to be joined by thousands more.
Norway joins Canada in a growing group of common-sense countries which refuse to waste public resources on petty file-sharers. Other countries - such as Germany and the UK are particularly weak. Although they don’t directly involve the police, they allow lawyers to blatantly (ab)use the system by claiming they are prosecuting a criminal case, simply in order to obtain a file-sharer’s identity. They then drop the criminal case, only to pursue a financially lucrative civil one, a tactic favored by lawyers Davenport Lyons to un-mask alleged BitTorrent pirates in the UK.
It’s uncertain at this point if the imminent raids suggested by Tøndel back in October 2007, will become more or less imminent following this statement by the police. Even though the Department of Justice won’t speak to Tøndel, we did, but sadly he doesn’t seem to have a statement for us right now.
Special thanks to RayJoha who made this article possible
Previously: EU Invests $22 Million in Next-Generation BitTorrent Client
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OHH FUCKIN A-ANOTHER LAWYER BITES NUTS
Anybody here using telenor as an ISP?is it safe know?hehehe
I LOVE MY COUNTRY<33
“you can see the contradiction in the article between the Culture Minister’s use of the term “illegal downloads” and the Department of Justice’s position that there is nothing illegal happening for them to prosecute
torrentfreak should learn the distinction and help educate the people who dont”
——————————-
As of a couple of years back now, downloading copyrighted (or similarily protected) material has been illegal to do in Norway.
I fail to see a negative side of the Norwegian Department of Justice rather spending their money on killers, rapists and robbers than spending franky an absolute arseload of cash to procecute 80% (numbers pulled out of my arse) of the country’s population below 25 years of age.
Screw Tøndel, RIAA, MPAA, IFPI and other organizations currently working to demonize the entire generation that’s growing up these days; It’s time to get with the programme and provide some competative solutions.
[quote comment="294917"]Anybody here using telenor as an ISP?is it safe know?hehehe[/quote]
Jeg har Telenor, ingen problemer. Om Telenor skulle overvåket alle så måtte de ha ansatt en hel haug med folk.
@Norway FTW!
do you use any program for protection example Peer Guardian 2?
I am using Peer Guardian 2 and Utorrent. Do you think its necessary?
What p2p program do you use?
Takk for respond
yeah!
Tondel looks like a real fun guy. Fucking lapdog.
Tondel’s a Lap-dog. Picture his smooth little pate getting stroked by a fat producer. Actually, he’s likely getting reamed on a casting couch somewhere. Now there’s a movie I’d stay well away from downloading.
I guess the police have more serious stuff to take care of. Like murder etc.
Good news for Norway! Now you can legally download illegal products:) Best wishes from Russia:)
PeerGuardian does no harm, not even when unneeded. I’d still use it if I were in Norway. People can still log your IP, find out who you are and when you’re outside of Norway you’ll be unsafe again.
By the way, people should not all brag about doing “illegal” things now. Most important facts are:
It is NOT illegal to share files with friends, online or otherwise. It is NOT illegal to host torrents. It is not theft to see, hear or try before you buy. It is not illegal to digitally copy files.
They/You should all stop calling it “piracy” too, it’s ridiculously silly. Nothing is being “pirated” here. It’s data, it’s 1 and 0, it’s freely available because it’s 1 and 0.
If they wouldn’t have wanted us to copy files, they should have thought about not putting files out there in digital formats. Stop nagging already. You can’t sell burnable CD’s/DVD’s, fast PC’s and fast internet connectivity to the people at home, and then expect those people NOT to use them. Grow up.
Espen Tøndel is a jew no wonder People hate those trouble,and money hungry bastards.
Woot! You’re going down, MPAA/RIAA!
[quote comment="295269"]Espen Tøndel is a jew no wonder People hate those trouble,and money hungry bastards.[/quote]
I resent that. I’m Jewish and that got nothing to do with filesharing.
Next you’re gonna say all MPAA/RIAA lawyers are Jewish!
[quote comment="295269"]Espen Tøndel is a jew no wonder People hate those trouble,and money hungry bastards.[/quote]
Is he really?
That’ makes sense then that he is the lapdog of Hollywood.
This is great news. :-)
Finally a police that has a reality connection and the balls to stand up to these wankers.
Congrats Norway - your police has brains!
:)
I generally hate the police in Scandinavia, especially the stupid, fascist Norwegian police. Nevertheless, this is good news!
Anyway, here is something nice for you.
ESPEN TØNDEL (1954)
Poststed: 0778 OSLO Inntekt: 3 576 353
Skattekommune: Oslo
Skatt: 1 156 755
Skattefylke: Oslo
Formue: 965 531
Fra Dagbladets skattesøk.
Choke on a fat dick Espen Tøndel!
[quote]sadly he doesn’t seem to have a statement for us right now[/quote]
Sad indeed. Mr. Tøndel, please give us a press-release on how you liked this nice old-skool “fuck off” from the police and Dept. of Justice.
[quote]even though the director of the movie didn’t agree with this course of action[/quote]
MPAA knows better than you and can protect you even against your will. ;-)
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Tøndel is the biggest bitch on earth, hate him so much!!
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