Internet piracy is a global problem, but few countries have become as associated with the practice as Sweden. Its reputation can mostly be attributed to The Pirate Bay, a notorious hub for illegal file-sharing of movies and other media that was started in Sweden in 2003 and ever since has been a target of the global entertainment industry. Its founders, once treated like rock stars in their native country, have been jailed, while the website itself is blocked by a growing list of countries, including, most recently, Russia.

Despite all this, The Pirate Bay remains defiant, spawning mirror versions and recently rebranding with a logo featuring a hydra whose many heads — each sporting a different domain extension — are meant to symbolize how difficult it will be to kill.

Why is piracy such a problem in Sweden? According to a new report, 280 million films or television shows were illegally viewed (streamed or downloaded) there last year — equivalent to a loss of $100 million in revenue, or about 25 percent of the value of the entire Swedish film and TV industry. The report, published by Sweden’s Film and TV Industry Cooperation Committee (an advocacy group for the country’s entertainment industry), included a survey that found that nearly a third of Swedes regularly watch pirated films or television shows. Among those aged 16 to 29, the number jumps to two-thirds. A large chunk of the Swedes who pirate media (42 percent) say they believe the practice is wrong but do it anyway.