GGF Fail - TPB to be Turned into a "Pay" Site

Swedish company Global Gaming Factory acquired The Pirate Bay recently and has confirmed that it is going legit - it will introduce paid subscriptions. Under the new management, users will have to pay a fee to access the website. And so ends the noble life of one of the most famous P2P file sharing websites on the net.

BitTorrent file sharing websites have been the target of organizations such as the MPAA, who claim that their profits are being compromised by the technology. While the technology itself is legal, the files shared are copyrighted. In several countries, thousands of users who have uploaded files on the internet have been sent to court and made to pay heavy fines. Recent indignation and controversy has been aroused by the case of Jammie Thomas-Rasset, who was to pay 1.92 milion dollars for downloading songs on the Kazaa network.

What really bothers me is the prediction of some internet users that in the near future, all services on the internet will be paid. The Pirate Bay has fallen to the pressures of Hollywood - how many torrent sites will remain free? And, how many free internet services we are enjoying today will remain free tomorrow?