Web site pirates in search of own island

AustralianIT reports that the group said it would consider any territory in international waters to avoid copyright legislation. Last week the group established a Web site - www.buysealand.com – as a discussion forum and to raise funds to buy Sealand, a former British naval platform and self-proclaimed principality 10 km off the eastern coast of Britain. The Pirate Bay site was shut down by Swedish police in May last year. The site then reopened using servers in The Netherlands before returning to Sweden in June. Full AustralianIT report

In other copyright news, a 16-year-old from Stavanger in Norway who shared thousands of movies and songs through the P2P program Direct Connect, has been charged with illegal file-sharing. The Register notes that the boy allegedly ran the Stavanger Dragon Hub, from where at least 7 000 movies, 150 000 songs and 20 000 video clips were shared illegally. The server was tracked down last year by Norwegian law firm Simonsen. The hub was closed immediately. The 16-year-old now faces 60 days in jail and a fine of NOK4 000 ($644) if convicted. Full report in The Register