The long-awaited TV series based on The Pirate Bay has finally premiered in Sweden, offering a dramatized version of the torrent site’s infamous journey. While the show attempts to capture the site’s tumultuous history, it is not without criticism from those who lived through it. Peter Sunde, co-founder of The Pirate Bay, and Rasmus Fleischer from Piratbyrån, who were key figures in the early days of the site, have expressed disappointment with the series, emphasizing the differences between their lived experiences and the fictionalized accounts presented on screen.
Fiction vs. Reality
The Pirate Bay TV series is inspired by real events but is a fictionalized retelling, and viewers should be cautious not to confuse the two. The show focuses on the legal battles surrounding the site, which ultimately led to the conviction of its founders, but there are many creative liberties taken in the depiction of events.
The three main characters—Fredrik, Gottfrid, and Peter—are based on the actual founders of The Pirate Bay, but the real individuals were not involved in the making of the series. The creators, while drawing from public information and insider knowledge, have made deliberate choices about how to portray key moments. However, as Peter Sunde and Rasmus Fleischer pointed out, many scenes depicted in the series never happened in real life.
Criticism from Peter Sunde
Peter Sunde, who co-founded The Pirate Bay alongside Gottfrid and Fredrik, was not impressed with the way his character was portrayed. Having watched the series before its official release, Peter voiced his disappointment.
“I’m very disappointed,” Peter said. “It’s fictional, yes, but what does that really mean when they use your name, quote you on things you’ve said, and then completely change how you’re portrayed?”
For instance, the series presents Peter’s character as somewhat submissive to his boss at Siemens, a depiction Peter strongly disagrees with. He also criticized the show for misunderstanding the chaotic and informal nature of Piratbyrån, the group from which The Pirate Bay evolved.
Peter also voiced a deeper concern: that the series, produced by the very industry that had long been The Pirate Bay’s adversary, was commercializing their history. “It’s paid for by organizations that have sued or threatened to sue TPB,” he added. Peter’s frustrations extended to the portrayal of his character’s Norwegian accent, which he called “awful,” suggesting it might have been a deliberate attempt to misrepresent him.
Despite declining to cooperate with the production, Peter had hoped the show would explore more than just the legal aspects of The Pirate Bay’s story. “I feel it’s like they put the TPB Wikipedia articles and TPB AFK into an AI and asked it to make a script,” Peter concluded, signaling his belief that the show lacked depth and understanding.
Rasmus Fleischer’s Perspective
Rasmus Fleischer, another influential figure in the early days of The Pirate Bay and a co-founder of Piratbyrån, shared some of Peter’s frustrations, though he was more forgiving towards the creators.
Fleischer noted that the depiction of him in the show was “fictionalized” in an exaggerated manner, particularly his character’s tendency to preach about freedom of speech. “I do prefer freedom over unfreedom, but we never really spoke in the language of rights and freedoms at Piratbyrån,” he explained, suggesting that the show’s portrayal didn’t match the group’s actual approach.
Despite this, Fleischer acknowledged the challenges involved in telling the story of The Pirate Bay. With his background in history, Fleischer recognized that any historical narrative about The Pirate Bay would have to simplify and focus on key events. In the series, the creators chose to center on the legal struggles, rather than the broader societal impact of the site. Fleischer admitted this was “a bit boring,” but he wasn’t offended by the outcome, understanding that the show was never intended to be a faithful historical document.
He even humorously embraced the idea of being copied: “I still like copying. Just let them copy me, let them show what kind of copies they are able to make – and we will show them once again how we copy.”
The Pirate Bay’s Legacy
The differences in perspective between the creators of the series and those who lived through the Pirate Bay saga highlight the complexities of the site’s legacy. Piratbyrån started as a disorganized group of friends who wanted to challenge the status quo, while The Pirate Bay itself grew into a much larger, more influential force. The founders, Fredrik, Gottfrid, and Peter, eventually embraced their roles as the face of the site, though for many of their associates, The Pirate Bay is simply a relic of their rebellious youth.
Today, even though the founders have distanced themselves from the site over time, The Pirate Bay still operates, continuing to fulfill its original purpose, but with a much less centralized management. The series may not have captured the full scope of The Pirate Bay’s impact or its origins, but it certainly stirs reflection on how this infamous part of internet history continues to affect those involved.
Ultimately, while The Pirate Bay TV series offers an entertaining look at the site’s rise and fall, it is a fictionalized version of events, one that doesn’t fully resonate with the people who lived through it.