Internet activist Aaron Swartz--Suicide of a Young Genius .wmv

Internet activist Aaron Swartz (26) took his own life

Internet activist and one of the key people behind the website Redddit, Aaron Swartz (26), took his own life Friday. Both family members and other activists point to the authorities after Swartz was indicted for copying academic papers and books.

Even as a 14-year-old  Swartz appears  in the Internet's history. The boy he was then helped to create standard RSS. RSS 1.0 was the basis for multiple distribution systems on the Internet - including podcasts and news feeds that constantly updates itself.

Aaron Swartz was known to fight for a free and open Internet, and was one of the most prominent activists in the fight against new U.S. laws SOPA and PIPA.

He fought against laws that impose restrictions on the use of the Internet for the benefit of control and copyright systems.

Friday he was found dead in his apartment in Brooklyn, New York. Swartz was 26 years old, and police have confirmed that he took his own life.