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September 2nd, 2014

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The biggest hacker case in Denmark’s history is under way at Frederiksberg City Court.

Gottfried Svartholm Warg, the Swedish co-founder of the Pirate Bay, and a 21-year-old Danish man are accused of contravening paragraph 193 of the criminal code in relation to their interference with IT systems.

They are also charged with obtaining trade secrets and committing vandalism. Both of the accused plead not guilty. The charges carry a sentence of up to six years in prison.

A packed courtroom
Information reports that the public gallery in the courtroom was today full of press and members of the public.

Kari Sørensen, the court press officer, told the paper that this public engagement is encouraged.

“We are happy that there are so many who are interested in the court’s work, and if there is anyone who hasn’t got a seat, they can follow the case from a lawyers’ chamber down the corridor,” she told the newspaper.

Massive security breach
The case concerns a security breach in the Danish public records in which Warg and his Danish accomplice are believed to have gained access to the driver’s licence register for a period of up to five months from April 2012.

Henrik Føhns, the host of DR P1’s Harddisken technology program, described to DR Nyheder the significance of the security breach at the heart of the case.

“The leak was open for so long that we don’t know if they shared the information with others,” he said.

“It’s the biggest ever domestic security breach. There has been massive introspection and we have asked ourselves how it could have happened. The conclusion is that security hasn’t been in order.”

A long time waiting
Warg was arrested by the Swedish police on 30 August 2012 in his apartment in Phnom Penh in Cambodia and was later extradited from Sweden to Denmark.

The Danish accused has been in custody since his arrest on June 6 last year.