The Pirate Bay's Svartholm Warg: a wee bit conspicuous in Cambodia. Photo: Notwist/Wikipedia

Anonymous data transmission, peer-to-peer file sharing, cloud-based file storage: these are three technologies.

Julian Assange, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Kim Dotcom: these are three people.

Got it? If so, you’re miles ahead of many executives, legislators, bureaucrats and police around the world. They’ve confused these dudes with the technologies they use.  That’s why Julian Assange is getting even pastier as he holes up in Ecuador’s British embassy, avoiding extradition to Sweden for questioning on crimes he has yet to be charged with. That’s why Pirate Bay cofounder Gottfrid Warg has been arrested in Cambodia, facing deportation to Sweden, even though Cambodia has no extradition treaty with Sweden. That’s why MegaUpload baron Kim Dotcom had his assets frozen and New Zealand mansion seized on warrants later deemed invalid. In each case, the persecution has been literally extraordinary. Diplomatic and investigative  protocols have been abandoned, laws have been twisted and abused. Whatever it takes, that’s what’s done to stop these men.

Continue…