>As I read it, copying almost any publically released
>work for private use is not an offence at all in Sweden
>(Article 12, Act on Copyright in Literary and Artistic Works).
Well, depends. In 2005 there was added some extra requirements. Shortly, the original has to be "legal". The long story is that the original can't have been made available to the public, or created aginst the 2 of the copyright law. So if the original is made available to the public without permision of the copyright holder (and there are really much exceptions here), which happens typically when made available on the internet, you can't make a copy of it for private use. In addition, the original can also not have been created in an illegal way (against 2 of the law).
But otherwise, yes, you are free to copy most everything for private use. Some important general exceptions though are that computer software can't be copied at all for private use. In addition, complete books (or litterary works) can't be copied ffor private use either, only sections. Private use includes giving a copy for a friend or to your family. A further exception is that you are only allowed to make one or a few such copies. So you can't make a copy to all your friends.
So, the copying people are making in the case of Pirate Bay, often doesn't fullfill the requirements for "private use".
Copying of computer prigram for private use, although not legal, is not a criminal crime though, it is however a civil one and one basically would have to pay for its use.
By the way, the trial of Pirate Bay is a criminal one.