The long-anticipated Pirate Bay TV series has finally premiered in Sweden, offering a dramatized version of the infamous torrent site’s turbulent history. However, the show has faced criticism from two key figures who were directly involved in the site’s rise: Peter Sunde, co-founder of The Pirate Bay, and Rasmus Fleischer of Piratbyrån. Both have expressed dissatisfaction with how their roles and the broader story have been portrayed on screen.
A Fictionalized Retelling
While the Pirate Bay TV series is based on real events, it is important to note that it is a fictionalized retelling. Viewers should not confuse the show’s narrative with the actual history of The Pirate Bay. The creators, using public information and insider accounts, have crafted a version of the story that fits within the conventions of entertainment. However, many key events and character portrayals differ significantly from reality.
Peter Sunde, one of the three core founders of The Pirate Bay, made it clear that he didn’t recognize himself in the show. Despite it being billed as a work of fiction, Peter was particularly upset by how the series depicted his character, especially in the early episodes.
Peter Sunde’s Disappointment
Peter Sunde, who had previously declined to cooperate with the production, expressed his disappointment after watching the show. “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 misrepresent you?” Peter said. One particular portrayal of his character—being depicted as submissive to his boss at Siemens—was something Peter didn’t recognize at all.
Additionally, the show seems to misunderstand the disorganized nature of Piratbyrån, the group from which The Pirate Bay originated, according to Peter. “They don’t really capture what Piratbyrån was about,” he added.
However, Peter’s biggest grievance is the fact that the entertainment industry, which has long been hostile toward The Pirate Bay, is now profiting from its story. “It’s paid for by the same organizations that have sued or threatened to sue TPB,” he remarked, showing his frustration at seeing their history commercialized by the very industry that had sought to destroy their platform.
Peter also noted his character’s Norwegian accent, which he described as “awful,” possibly done to further distance the show’s version of himself from reality.
Rasmus Fleischer’s Perspective
Rasmus Fleischer, another key figure from the early days of The Pirate Bay and one of the founders of Piratbyrån, shared some of Peter’s criticisms, although he was somewhat more forgiving. Fleischer noted that his on-screen counterpart spoke as though he was constantly delivering principled speeches about freedom of speech, which was far from how he and his colleagues at Piratbyrån actually communicated. “We didn’t really talk much in the language of rights and freedoms,” he explained.
Fleischer also acknowledged the challenge of telling a story like The Pirate Bay’s. “To tell the story of The Pirate Bay, based on true events, necessarily means to discard the vast majority of events,” he said. The creators, he believes, made a choice to focus on the legal aspects of the story, which left the broader societal impact of the site unexplored. He described this as “a bit boring,” but overall, Fleischer wasn’t offended by the fictionalized version of events.
Fleischer, with his background in history and his role as a scholar at Stockholm University, was not as concerned about the fictionalization of history as he was with the broader implications. He acknowledged that while some of the creative choices didn’t fully reflect the reality of the situation, he was not upset by the show’s portrayal of him and his colleagues. “I still like copying,” Fleischer quipped. “Just let them copy me and let them show what kind of copies they are able to make.”
The Pirate Bay’s True Legacy
At the heart of the disagreement between the series creators and the figures it’s based on lies the complexity of The Pirate Bay’s legacy. Piratbyrån, which started as a loosely connected group of friends, was initially more focused on challenging the status quo and experimenting with file-sharing. However, as The Pirate Bay grew, it became something much bigger than Piratbyrån ever intended.
While the three main founders—Fredrik, Gottfrid, and Peter—eventually became the public faces of the site, other core members of Piratbyrån largely stayed on the sidelines, watching the site’s evolution from a rebellious idea to a massive force in the file-sharing world.
Despite distancing themselves from the site over time, the founders remain associated with the platform to this day. The show’s focus on legal battles is understandable given the dramatic nature of those events, but it misses out on the more subversive and socially impactful side of the story.
The Entertainment Industry’s Take on Pirate Bay
The creators of the series, by focusing primarily on the legal proceedings surrounding The Pirate Bay, have presented a version of events that emphasizes conflict with the entertainment industry. This framing has upset some of the key figures involved, but it also speaks to the polarizing nature of the site. For many, The Pirate Bay represented defiance against the control of big media corporations, while others saw it as a disruption to intellectual property laws.
For Peter and Rasmus, the show’s portrayal of their personal experiences, especially the discrepancies with the historical events, highlights the tension between fiction and reality. In their eyes, the Pirate Bay TV series represents an attempt by Hollywood to capitalize on the site’s story for its own entertainment value, while sidelining the actual motivations, struggles, and impact of those involved.
Conclusion: The Pirate Bay’s Ongoing Influence
The saga of The Pirate Bay continues to be a source of reflection, both for those directly involved and for audiences trying to understand its place in internet history. Although the series presents an entertaining version of the site’s rise and fall, it does so through the lens of entertainment, not history.
The founders and figures like Peter and Rasmus have long moved on from The Pirate Bay, but the site still persists, continuing to run despite the years of legal challenges and changes to its structure. The Pirate Bay’s legacy may be more complex and multifaceted than any TV series could capture, but the ongoing conversation surrounding it proves that the site’s impact is far from over.
