Comparing online music piracy to whack-a-mole is a well-worn metaphor, but it's never been so apt as today, with The Pirate Bay announcing its IPREDator VPN service, and SeeqPod revealing plans to sell its source code to any developer willing to stump up $5,000.In both cases, the spur is litigation and legislation. The Pirate Bay's co-founders are awaiting the verdict of their trial next month, but more immediately, IPREDator is anticipating new Swedish laws allowing the authorities to demand the personal details of suspected copyright infringers.Using the new VPN theoretically means people will be far less trackable, with the bonus (if you're The Pirate Bay) of providing a potentially lucrative new revenue stream. It looks like the IFPI will have to revise those estimates of how much The Pirate Bay is making…Meanwhile, SeeqPod has explicitly said that it wants to spawn a host of copycat sites offering similar music search engine services, in response to the lawsuits it faces from several major labels. “This just goes to show that when you sue technology – or the internet – you unleash a powerful demon technology,” said a spokesperson. “Imagine, millions of mini-SeeqPods – and the world will be a better place [...]
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