“While these men may not look like pirates, they’re actually the center of a legal storm in Sweden that’s now become a major victory for the music and movie industries.” (France 24)

Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching newsy.com

Last week, operators of file-sharing Web site The Pirate Bay were sentenced to prison in a Swedish court for assisting in copyright infringement.

But news that the presiding judge is a member of several pro-copyright organizations has prompted calls for a retrial.

The Guardian reports the judge…

“ …is not only a member of the Swedish Copyright Association but also sits on the board of the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, an organization that lobbies for tougher copyright laws.”  (The Guardian)

Social Media Web site mashable.com calls the discovery an “unbelievable turn of events” …

 “To me there is no question that the judge was biased and should have declined to take part in the trial; a retrial seems like a very real possibility.” (Mashable.com)

France 24 reports on the impact of the verdict.

“… for the moment it’s not going to change an awful lot in the short- term, there are still an awful lot a file sharing Web sites on the internet that users can still access but it’s a huge symbolic victory for the music industry.”  (France 24)

The Christian Science Monitor adds the perspective that in Sweden, The Pirate Bay has an ever-growing following.

“Within three days of the ruling, the Pirate Party – which campaigns for copyright reform – gained more than 15,000 new members, doubling in size to become the country's fourth-largest political party.” (Christian Science Monitor)

So do you think The Pirate Bay got a fair trial? Is it possible to properly enforce copyright law on the Internet?