Harry Potter leaks on Pirate Bay

London, 19 July 2007

The Pirate Bay, an international engine of illegal file-sharing, is accused of facilitating the distribution of pre-release copies of the latest Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in a move that has been criticised by publishers Bloomsbury. Author J.K. Rowling has previously asked people to respect her embargos and described those who ruin others enjoyment as “sad individuals."

John Kennedy, chairman and chief executive of IFPI, comments: “The Pirate Bay has a long history of facilitating the distribution of pirated music on the internet, harming artists, composers and record producers. It would appear that the publishing industry is now also being hurt by the operators of The Pirate Bay who show no respect for creativity or intellectual property rights.”