A few weeks ago, on a sunny spring evening in Stockholm, a friend of mine asked me to come and have dinner with a guy who he thought I might find interesting. We arranged to meet at a fabulous old restaurant located high above the city, looking out over the water – over the original Pirate Bay itself in fact.  As we went up in the rickety elevator reached through a rather down-at-heel office building, my friend turned to me and said: “Oh yes, by the way, he has an interesting idea, he wants to buy Pirate Bay.”

We sat down and were shortly afterwards joined by Hans Pandeya. A native Swede, Hans comes from an Asian Indian family and spent several years working in Sydney Australia before returning to his native Sweden.  His current company specialises in running internet cafes in various locations around the world. Hans is clearly an entrepreneur in the classic mould. We spent the evening discussing the pros and cons of the deal, the way in which it might look like a repeat of the Napster scenario, how we might avoid that and what my partner and I might do to help with a little scheme we were hatching.

I explained to him at length that whatever he thought he was buying, if he changed the service to one that pays rights owners  and charges users – almost by definition – the users would flee – en masse.  All that he would really be able to buy is the brand.

And a brand whose values and business model are radically altered from what they were built from is a decidedly diminished asset.

Not to mention the lawsuits – the current one – and the ones that haven’t woken up yet…

Nonetheless, Hans remained determined. For a start, the tax benefits of one Swedish business investing in another might mean that he would only end up paying 50% of the asking price – so his investment is not $7.8m but nearer to just under $4m. Secondly, Hans felt certain that if the Pirate Bay had 100 million users and that only 10% of them stayed with the brand, then there was a great business to be built. My partner and I disagreed, but we had an interesting and enjoyable meal and as the sun set over the winking waters of the bay , it was clear that Hans was determined to go ahead with his plan. We wish him luck.

Photo by sun dazed via Flickr

You’ve taken the first step and found new homes for all your old jewel cases. Now you’re admiring binder after binder of CDs on your bookshelf and scratching your head thinking, “when was the last time I actually played a CD?”

Um, probably a looong time ago. Digital downloads, computers, and iPods have made the CD virtually obsolete. You now realize your CDs are just taking up precious space. But what’s the best way to get rid of them?

CDs are made of petroleum-based plastics, metals, dyes, and lacquers. Not something you really want sitting around in a landfill, or worse yet, burnt to a crisp in an incinerator. Because they’re made of so many different materials, CDs are also hard to recycle.

But all hope is not lost. If you’re thinking about parting ways with some or (gasp!) all of your CDs, follow these simple tips for a smooth, eco-friendly transition into the digital age:

1. Create a digital library. Okay, kids. I am not going to insult your musical intelligence and will assume you’ve heard of a little thing called iTunes. For you nonconformists, there are plenty of music management alternatives out there like Songbird, JetAudio, and Rockbox that will convert your precious Bikini Kill and Dead Kennedys CDs to mp3s without having to sell out to the man. For most of us, though, it’s a simple matter of finishing what we started. So get going!

2. BACK IT UP! Uploading CDs to your computer is time-consuming and not particularly pleasant. Do you want to do it all over again if your computer crashes and burns? Didn’t think so. Do yourself a favor and buy an external drive for about $100 and back up your digital library. Just remember to repeat the back-up process periodically so any new music you amass is accounted for.

3. Make some cash. The greenest thing you can do for the environment and your wallet is to sell your CDs to someone who is still stuck in the ’90s. Sometimes it’s easier to go straight to the middleman and get some cash for your old CDs at your local music store. If you’re too embarrassed to hawk your Backstreet Boys CDs to a real live person, try online resellers like SecondSpin and Half.com.

4. Get crafty or donate. Who knew CDs could be the building blocks for iPod docks, solar cookers, and 10 lb dumbells. Try out a few DIY CD projects yourself. Post your leftovers on Freecycle or Craigslist for creative types to salvage. Heck, if you find a DIY idea you really dig but don’t think you have the skills to pull it off, commission someone else to make it for you.

5. Recycle. As a last resort, ask your city or county solid waste office if there are any recyclers in your area that accept CDs. Don’t forget that Greendisk will also take up to 20 lbs of your old jewel cases, CDs, and other electronic waste for $7 (plus shipping).

The most important part, however, is putting yourself on a CD-free diet from this point forward. It’s okay to cheat sometimes – for that box set you just gotta have or to support a small indie band. But for the most part, buy digital whenever possible.