The Pirate Bay co-founder abandons ship

Co-founder of The Pirate Bay, Peter Sunde, has announced via his blog that he is to leave the file-sharing portal.

Sunde has been the spokesperson for the website, and is currently facing a year in prison for infringing copyright – although this conviction is under appeal.

The departure could allow Global Gaming Factory to complete its proposed $7.8 million buyout of the controversial site. The new firm has offered to turn the portal into a legitimate, paid-for service.

The past years I’ve been very active in the discussion of the current state and the future states of the internets,” said Sunde.

It’s an important cause and I will not give the fight up.

However, I have decided to not be the spokesperson for The Pirate Bay anymore. The reasons are many but most importantly it takes too much of my time. I want to build something new and I want to focus my energy in a different direction.

Today marks the end of a small era for me, but I am simply leaving a role in order to be a person instead.”

Last week, a Dutch court ordered The Pirate Bay to block access to users from the Netherlands within three days, or face paying a $3 million fine.