Pirate Party UK Officially Registered

[nsane.forums]

In June the Swedish Pirate Party shocked its critics and secured a seat in the European Parliament, with no less than 7.1 percent of the vote. The Pirates received more votes from those under 30 than any other party in Sweden, which went beyond all expectations.

This achievement motivated supporters of the Party’s ideals in other countries to become active as well. Last month the Swiss Pirate Party was founded and the Canadians are mobilizing too. In the UK the local Pirate Party hasn’t been sitting still either, quite the opposite.

Today the Pirate Party UK announced that they are officially registered at the Electoral Commission. The paperwork is done and all the bureaucracy has been dealt with, so now the party’s biggest challenge is to increase its membership.

“Now the party can really start. It’s time for us to tell the world that we exist, to recruit members, raise funds and gear up to fight the General Election,” Pirate Party Chairman, Andrew Robinson told TorrentFreak. “The officers and web team have built the framework that the party needs to get going, now it’s time for the public to make things happen,” he added.

Increasingly the UK copyright lobby is pushing politicians, ISPs and law enforcement to take action against those accused of copyright infringement. If anywhere, a Party devoted to protecting online privacy and weeding out copyright abuse is much needed in Britain. However, they can’t do much without the help of actively involved members.

“Join the party, tell the media about the party, tell your friends about the party, take part in policy and news debates on the forum, join our Facebook group, donate or set up a regular payment to provide financial support, set up a branch in your constituency, school or workplace,” Robinson suggests, emphasizing that the success of Britain’s newest party depends on its members.

All over the world the Pirate Party movement is growing, with new parties being founded every month. For those who want to get involved locally, a full list of all the parties can be found at Pirate Party International.

Pirate Party UK Campaign Poster

Article from: TorrentFreak, check out our new blog at FreakBits.

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[Lite]

UK Pirate Party to stand at general election

A political party that supports the sharing of files via the internet now has an official arm in the UK after it was approved to stand by the Electoral Commission.

The Pirate Party, whose Swedish organisation won a seat in the European Parliament for the first time this June, is set to campaign around three core policies.

These are to legalise non-commercial file sharing and reduce the length of copyright protection, to end "excessive" surveillance of citizens by government and big business, and to promote freedom of speech.

"Enthusiastic support for the party has, up to now, sometimes blinded us to the fundamental truth: there was no party," read a message on the party's official blog.

"The Pirate Party UK existed only as an idea. But now it is real, and here to stay for as long as it is needed. At the end of last month, the Electoral Commission confirmed the registration."

The party will be standing at the next general election and will be hoping to ape the success of its sister parties in Sweden and Germany.

Ironically those organisations enjoyed a massive surge in popularity when the four founders of unaffiliated file sharing site The Pirate Bay were sentenced to prison in April this year.

"The internet has turned our world into a global village. Ideas can be shared at incredible speed, and at negligible cost. The benefits are plain to see, but as a result, many vested interests are threatened," reads a message on the UK Pirate Party site.

"Outdated laws must change, and will change. The only question is when will we change them."

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