Pirate Bay Website Sold for $7.8 Million

Today, Swedish software company Global Gaming Factory X AB has announced it has acquired The Pirate Bay website for 60 million SEK, which is roughly the equivalent of $7.8 million USD.

This was almost immediately confirmed by The Pirate Bay. Although the title of their post is entitled “TPB might change owner,” from the text of the post it is obvious that the site has indeed been sold.

World Leaders Thank Arrestees, Avert Climate Disaster

In a front-page ad in today's International Herald Tribune, the leaders of the European Union thank the European public for having engaged in months of civil disobedience leading up to the Copenhagen climate conference that will be held this December. "It was only thanks to your massive pressure over the past six months that we could so dramatically shift our climate-change policies.... To those who were arrested, we thank you."

There was only one catch: the paper was fake.

Patrons Lacking for Debord's Manuscripts
Le Monde, 17 June 2009
http://www.notbored.org/BNFa.html

Bruno Racine, the president of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France
(BNF) hosted 200 potential patrons on Monday, 15 June, at a dinner
gala in the Hall of Globes. The dinner guests were encouraged to give
as much money as possible to help the BNF acquire the archives of Guy
Debord, the leader of situationism. According to Mr. Racine, these
archives constitute "a unique collection for the literary
avant-gardes."

SOAS Occupied Over Retaliatory Deportation of Cleaners
Free SOAS Cleaners

Students and allies at the University of London’s School of School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) have occupied the university today to protest against managers’ attacks on migrant workers. Nine cleaners from the university were taken into detention after a dawn raid by immigration police on Friday. Five have already been deported, and the others could face deportation within days. One has had a suspected heart attack and was denied access to medical assistance and even water. One was over 6 months pregnant. Many have families who have no idea of their whereabouts. The cleaners won the London Living Wage and trade union representation after a successful “Justice for Cleaners” campaign that united workers of all backgrounds and student activists. Activists believe the raid is managers’ “revenge” for the campaign.

Immigration officers were called in by cleaning contractor ISS, even though it has employed many of the cleaners for years. Cleaning staff were told to attend an ‘emergency staff meeting’ at 6.30am on Friday (June 12). This was used as a false pretext to lure the cleaners into a closed space from which the immigration officers were hiding to arrest them. More than 40 officers were dressed in full riot gear and aggressively undertook interrogations and then escorted them to the detention centre. Neither legal representation nor union support were present due to the secrecy surrounding the action. Many were unable to communicate let alone fully understand what was taking place due to the denial of interpreters.

Argentina Copyright Case Brings Access To Education Into The Spotlight
From IP Watch
Catherine Saez

An Argentinean philosophy professor is being sued for alleged copyright infringement for posting translated versions of French philosopher Jacques Derrida’s works on a website, according to the Copy South Research Group. The case is bringing international attention to the limitations on access to education brought about by copyright.

In an attempt to make foreign philosophers’ work available to Spanish language readers and students, Prof. Horacio Potel said he created an open source website named “Nietzsche in Spanish” in December 1999, one named “Heidegger in Spanish” in June 2000 and one entitled “Derrida in Spanish” in June 2001.
On 19 February he was advised that a criminal case was opened against him. In December 2008, French publishing company “les Editions de Minuit” lodged a complaint which was passed on to the French Embassy in Argentina and it became the basis of the Argentina Book Chamber’s legal action against Potel, according to CopySouth.

The Perfect Wave
Edu-factory

The Anomalous Wave has invaded the streets, and blocked the cities again, and again has conflicted on the link education-work, starting from the protests against the unsustainable and illegitimate G8 University Summit. In Turin, ten thousands students, moving from the Block G8 Building,decided to march across the centre, sanctioning banks and temporary employment agency, crying again that "We won't pay for your crisis". The whole Wave decided to break into the red zone, not to accept prohibitions to the freedom of movement, and to try to reach the venue of the illegitimate summit of the chancellors' baronial lobby: we protected the demonstration from the charges and we denounce the massive and excessive use of tear gas thrown at eye level against students. Yet another Wave that subverts the G8 University Summit, once again we demonstrate our dissent, day after day in every faculty we build up the autonomous university by the "self reform", we build up the reappropriation of income and the autonomous production of knowledge!

Italian Pirate Bay Trial in the Making
Ernesto, from Torrent Freak

Following the Swedish verdict, Italy is now considering starting its own trial against the people involved with The Pirate Bay. This would be the first criminal prosecution against the Pirate Bay ‘founders’ outside their home country.

During August last year, The Pirate Bay was “censored” in Italy when ISPs were ordered to block access to the worlds largest BitTorrent tracker. The Pirate Bay appealed the block and eventually won the court case. In October the Court of Bergamo ruled that no foreign website can be censored for alleged copyright infringement.

However, with the Swedish verdict against The Pirate Bay in hand, the Italian justice authority is now looking into the possibility of starting their very own trial against the Pirate Bay ‘operators’. Interesting to say the least, because The Pirate Bay and those involved with the site have no direct link to Italy.

Seven Greenpeace Activists Arrested in Banner-Hanging at Major Economies Forum
Matt Leonard @ Greenpeace.org

Hello everyone. At the Major Economies Forum this morning, 7
Greenpeace activists were arrested hanging a giant banner from a
construction crane above the State Department. The banner remained up
for several hours, including while Hillary Clinton was scheduled to
address the MEF, and while Obama was speaking across the street at
the National Academy of Sciences. The 7 arrested were charged with
misdemeanors, and include Phil Radford, who begins his first day as
the new Executive Director of Greenpeace today.

This meeting is a major step in the lead up to Copenhagen. While not
officially part of the UN process, the need for urgent action from
the world's biggest polluters makes this meeting (today and tomorrow)
a very important international event. There is also a large coalition
rally happening now (with hundreds expected from Greenpeace, 350,
AVAAZ, CCAN, Friends of the Earth and many more).

Lindy Blake, Presidio 27 Mutineer, RIP

Dear Friends,
Below is a beautiful tribute to Lindy Blake, one of the Presidio 27 mutineers, written by his friend and comrade Randy Rowland (who, along with Keith Mather, told the story of the Presidio 27 in "Sir! No Sir!"). Lindy died recently at his home in Canada, where he has lived since escaping the Presidio stockade in 1968.

Lindy's Great Escape

It was 40 years ago. We were all young. Facing a potential death sentence for singing "We Shall Overcome," the 27 "mutineers" held a meeting in the cell block of the Presidio Stockade. Everyone who could escape should, we decided. We were not cooperating with the Brass, not even to participate in their kangaroo court-marital. Not long after, some of the Presido 27 did escape. Walter Pawlowski, the guy who stood up during our sit-down, to read our demands to the commandant, was one of the escapees. Keith Mather, one of the "9-For- Peace," and the contact I was supposed to meet up with when I arrived in the stockade, was another. They were recognizable ringleaders in the stockade protest which became known as the Presidio Mutiny. They had good reason to leave. Even before the sit- down strike, both were already facing many years in prison for GI resistance to the US invasion and occupation of Viet Nam. Now they faced additional charges of mutiny, the most serious of military offenses. Military regulations simply say "there is no maximum sentence" for mutiny.

Author J.G. Ballard Dies After Lengthy Illness
Ben Hoyle, London Times Arts Correspondent

Pinteresque, Dickensian, Shakespearean. Not many writers are so distinctive and influential that their name becomes an adjective in its own right. J. G. Ballard, who died yesterday morning after a long battle with cancer at the age of 79, was one of them.

“Ballardian” is defined in the Collins English Dictionary as: “adj) 1. of James Graham Ballard (born 1930), the British novelist, or his works (2) resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in Ballard’s novels and stories, esp dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes and the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments.”

His influence stretched across a modern world that he seemed to see coming years in advance.

His dark, often shocking fiction predicted the melting of the ice caps, the rise of Ronald Reagan, terrorism against tourists and the alienation of a society obsessed with new technology.