Jonas Nilsson, the lawyer of Fredrik Neij - who was found guilty of copyright infringement offenses and subsequently denied the opportunity to be heard by Sweden's Supreme Court - believes that the function of The Pirate Bay is protected by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.

Nilsson's statement said: "According to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees citizens of Sweden the freedom to receive and impart information, we believe that Frederick Neij's right ...