Universal Music, EMI Music, Sony BMG and Warner Music are demanding one million Swedish kronor from two Pirate Bay founders. A Swedish court banned them from operating the site last year, and the labels argue that they have failed to comply.

Last October, the Stockholm District Court ordered that two of the site’s founding members – Gottfrid Svartholm and Fredrik Neij – should cease to operate the site.

The verdict read that if they failed to comply with the court’s decision, this would result in fines of 500,000 kronor ($71,000) each.

The two were granted an appeal little over a month later, but the record labels do not intend to wait and are going after their money. They have sent the District Court a letter where they ask the authorities to collect the fines.

The labels argue that, since the site is still operational, Neij and Svartholm must be involved in the operation one way or another. Whether they or the authorities can back this up with evidence is highly doubtful.

Fredrik and Gottfrid

Both Pirate Bay founders currently live outside Sweden, and aside from their whereabouts, it will be hard to prove that either of them is still actively involved in the site’s operation without monitoring their every move.

Commenting on the announcement, Fredrik Neij said: “I am no longer involved in the operation of The Pirate Bay, so there is no opportunity for the penalty to be issued. I think the law is quite clear on this.”

Whether or not the fine will be enforced doesn’t matter that much to Neij, who already owes over 50 million kronor ($7 million) due to previous legal cases. He can’t pay the money anyway he said, adding “a few million more or less doesn’t really affect me.”