Fidel Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 The Pirate Bay plans to buy island Published: 12th January 2007 12:37 CET Online: http://www.thelocal.se/6076/ Swedish file-sharing website The Pirate Bay is planning to buy its own nation in an attempt to circumvent international copyright laws. The group has set up a campaign to raise money to buy Sealand, a former British naval platform in the North Sea that has been designated a 'micronation', and claims to be outside the jurisdiction of the UK or any other country. The Pirate Bay says it is the world's largest 'bit torrent tracker', and is a popular way of sharing music, films, software and other copyrighted material online. It has been under the scrutiny of authorities in Sweden and around the world for some time. The site was briefly closed down after raids by the Swedish police last May. After initially moving to the Netherlands, the site returned to Sweden in June. Swedish authorities have been put under pressure to do more to stop the site. The Motion Picture Association of America, the Swedish Anti-Piracy Bureau and the US government have all lobbied for The Pirate Bay's closure. According to a website set up to secure the purchase of Sealand, The Pirate Bay plans to give citizenship of the micronation to anyone willing to put money towards the purchase. "It should be a great place for everybody, with high-speed Internet access, no copyright laws and VIP accounts to The Pirate Bay," the organisation claims on its website www.buysealand.com. The "island" of Sealand, seven miles off the coast of southern England, was settled in 1967 by an English major, Paddy Roy Bates. Bates proclaimed Sealand a state, issuing passports and gold and silver Sealand dollars and declaring himself Prince Roy. When the British Royal Navy tried to evict Prince Roy in 1968, a judge ruled that the platform was outside British territorial waters and therefore beyond government control. The British government subsequently extended its territorial waters from three to twelve nautical miles from the coast, which would include Sealand, but Prince Roy simultaneously extended Sealand's waters, claimed that this guaranteed Sealand's sovereignty. The island is now being put up for sale by Prince Roy's son, Prince Michael, who styles himself head of state. A firm of Spanish estate agents has valued the island at £504 million (about 7 billion kronor), although Prince Michael told The Times of London that it is hard to gauge how much it will fetch in reality. The Pirate Bay says it is looking at alternatives to buying the former naval platform. "If we do not get enough money required to buy the micronation of Sealand, we will try to buy another small island somwhere and claim it as our own country," the organization says on its website. James Savage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ckrisg Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Sealand, a former British naval platform in the North Sea that has been designated a 'micronation', and claims to be outside the jurisdiction of the UK or any other country. This has been raised numerous times, Sealand is not outside UK jurisdiction. A non starter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 A country is up for sale to anyone who can stump up the £65 million asking price. The Principality of Sealand is a self-proclaimed mini-state on a former Second World War fort, seven miles off Harwich, Essex. It has its own passports, currency and stamps, reports the Daily Telegraph. Sealand became an independent state after ''Prince" Roy Bates occupied it with his family in 1967. The Royal Navy was sent to evict him but Bates saw them off with warning shots. A judge later ruled that, as Sealand lay outside the three-mile limit, it was outside government control. Now the nation, which experienced a devastating fire last year, has been put up for sale through Spanish estate agents Inmonaranja. Anyone who takes on a stake in Sealand, says the brochure, will "be able to share in and become part of the history of the most famous and oldest micro-nation in the world". Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ckrisg Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 I will look for the source, but it is documented that several users and prospective buyers have tried the outside of UK laws and have declined to proceed. An internet provider tried this a few years ago and was raided by the authorities, but until I can find the source I gob shitti........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 Chrisg, I am as cyinical as you are, but check out wikipedia ... it was also in yesterdays Red Tops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ckrisg Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/sealand.htm I think that if a company tried to set up what would be technically an illegal operation the UK authorities, would close it down. It would be foolish for any company to pay millions for what is a tower in the sea. Strange that the UK went to war thousands of miles away to reclaim land and allows a sovereign nation to exist 12 miles of the coast, why because it is just not worth the bother (nor does it have any value) at this moment in time. However set up an illegal operation and light the touchpaper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 If the British decided it was a shipping hazard (being at the mouth of the Thames) they could knock it down whenever they wanted without the consent of any "owner".. So it would be a shit investment. Anyway, that Bates guy used force to evict some others that were living there, so why should he get rich from it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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