We love the web!
Lately a lot of acronyms have been thrown around: SOPA, ACTA, IPRED and PIPA. Today an old one was revived, TPB. Even though it does not stand for evil (like the rest) we are still saddened by the context it was used. The Swedish Supreme Court today decided not to review The Pirate Bay case. That means our co-founder Peter is supposed to sit behind bars for a while. This is a sad day for us.
But this is about something so much bigger.
Trust that this does not really affect our daily work. Peter has since the start been the visionary and guide for the company. He is on the forefront of what we’re trying to achieve, our main spokesperson and the guy with the vision. This will not change. Regardless of where he might be physically sitting or held, the internet sees no boundaries and that is the real place Peter lives — as does Flattr and the people that work with it.
We have previously expressed our concern about SOPA, and today’s events have made it even more clear that someone is putting their pawns on the board waiting for the real game to begin. It’s time we understand that the forces behind this may not know what they are doing, what the result will be and that it’s not just sites or business ideas which are at stake here. What’s at risk is our freedom to use the internet.
We hope that this is a consequence of lack of knowledge, that the people suggesting these activities and laws don’t know what they will actually result in, that it’s not progress. But we don’t think they will understand and listen unless we scream loudly. It’s time for everyone to understand that internet is the most wonderful creation of modern time, and it has become this wonder because it’s designed as it is. Don’t change it nor try to control it, embrace it.
The fundamental fabric of the internet is at stake. It’s easy to look at what is happening as attempts to control media and content the way already done in the physical world. The only way to achieve this is to see and control what every single person does. And yes, that is what is being suggested and implied now. Total control of the most basic systems of the internet. Total control of what you do. And this in order to enforce structures that the internet was built expressly not to include. As the result we are now even more determined to drive the internet forward. Trying to find a new way to support all the creativity of you wonderful people out there has been the goal from start, and it still is. And with your help we will succeed.
We love the web!
The Flattr Board — Linus Olsson, Eileen Burbidge, Jan-Erik Fiske
And the Flattr Team
