As part of the punitive measures against both The Pirate Bay and its founders, a Swedish court previously banned two of the torrent site's founders from having anything to do with its future operations. Now, according to the Stockholm District Court, Fredrik Neij has violated that ban and will be fined. Neij told TorrentFreak that his only 'crime' was failing to prove a negative. In any event, no fines will be paid.

Over the years the laundry list of punishments and measures against The Pirate Bay and its founders has grown to epic proportions.

The founders of the site were hit with jail sentences and huge fines following a 2009 trial and subsequent appeals, and the site itself is banned or censored in growing numbers of countries around the world.

What is less well known perhaps is that two of the site’s founders are actually forbidden from having anything at all to do with running The Pirate Bay.

The legal restrictions date back to an order issued by the Stockholm District Court, which declared that Fredrik Neij (TiAMO) and Gottfrid Svatholm (Anakata) were forever banned from operating the site.

Breaching the ban would result in a hefty fine for the duo, but one was not expected to be handed down – until today.

The Stockholm District Court now says that Neij has continued to have involvement in the operations of The Pirate Bay. As a result it has handed down a 500,000 kronor fine ($70,690).

So what evidence does the Court have exactly? TorrentFreak tracked Fredrik down and asked.

“There is no evidence, just the lack of evidence that I was not involved,” he told us.

“In civil cases it’s guilty until proven innocent and in a previous case I declined to give the details who I transfered the site to. They say if it’s not me, then I could easily say who it is.”

Although the amount levied by the District Court is significant, Neij appears unfazed.

“I don’t mind civil cases,” he told us. “I don’t live in Sweden, and it’s not like an extra $71,000 would hurt the $10,606,000 I already owe.”

Along with the other founders of The Pirate Bay, Neij does indeed owe millions of dollars in damages and fines so his predicament and attitude is perhaps best summed up by paraphrasing the earlier words of fellow site founder Peter Sunde. “Why stay at just a few million dollars?” Sunde said. “Why not make it a billion dollars instead?”

In any event, it appears that no one is getting any money. Fredrik tells TorrentFreak that he’s already written to the court informing them of his intention never to pay any fines, now or in the future. Even if he did, however, there would be a bonus.

“[Any payment] would push the mafiaa from The Pirate Bay trial one step away from even getting any cash at all, as all this goes directly to the state, and stuff owed to the state will be taken before anything is sent to private cash I owe.

“Not that they will ever get any cash for either of the debts, but still.”