Pirate Party surges in German opinion polls

[anestis]

Opinion polls in Germany are now recording support of around 10% for the country’s Piratenpartei, the IP-sceptic political party that recently secured a breakthrough result in the ballot for the Berlin regional parliament. Although the next nationwide elections in Europe’s biggest economy are not due until 2013, should the pirates maintain their current level of support they would probably secure over 60 seats in the Bundestag and form its fourth biggest grouping.

Equally as significant for the long term health of the party, it would also gain access to on-going federal funding, so allowing it to develop a strong national organisation and meaningfully finance future electoral campaigns. It is even possible that the pirates could hold the balance of power in Germany – though current polls suggest that an SPD/Green coalition would probably be the likeliest outcome of the next general election, as Angela Merkel's FPD coalition partners are currently on course to lose their entire parliamentary representation (just as they did in Berlin).

Any level of Pirate Party presence in the German Parliament would send shock waves through the IP community not only in Germany, but across Europe. Other political parties would find themselves under pressure to adopt policies similar to those advocated by the pirates. Although not as extreme as its equivalents in other European countries, the Piratenpartei does advocate significant restrictions on patents in many areas, including software and life sciences, and is also critical of many aspects of current copyright law. It’s not hard to envision a situation in which other German parties – looking to connect with the younger voters who form the Pirate Party’s electoral base – start to cherry pick some of its policies.

This blog has said it so many times before, but IP owners in Europe need to wake up to the fact that the rights they currently enjoy are not God-given and are not guaranteed. Elections can change things, especially in times as tumultuous and unpredictable as the ones we are currently living through. If the case for IP is not made positively, accessibly and constantly, those making the case against it will have a clear path to get their message across, with all the possible consequences that could have. It really is as simple as that.

http://www.iam-magazine.com/blog/Detail.aspx?g=399bcd2c-8c71-4c1f-9eb5-dc84e8107d7c

[Nicholas Starkos]

Στις εκλογές που θα γίνουν τον Φεβρουάριο το ΠΑΣΟΚ και η ΝΔ θα πάρουν από τα μικρότερα ποσοστά της ιστορίας τους. Θα αποτελεί τεράστια ευκαιρία για κάτι νεό να αποκτήσει μια καλή δυναμική και τέτοιες ευκαιρίες σπάνια παρουσιάζονται. Πρέπει να βάλουμε τις μηχανές στο τέρμα !

[anestis]

Δύσκολα θα είμαστε έτοιμοι.

Χρειάζονται 200+ ιδρυτικά μέλη, υποψήφιοι στο 1/3 της χώρας και καμιά 25.000-35.000 cash
για παράβολα και μελάνι εκτύπωσης ψηφοδελτίων (το χαρτί δωρεάν)
(για να μη νομίζετε ότι η Δημοκρατία είναι φτηνή...)

Για μένα λογικότερος στόχος είναι οι Ευρωεκλογές του 2013,
μακάρι να βγάλουμε όλοι, όση δύναμη χρειάζεται, για να προλάβουμε τις εκλογές του 2012 [ΑΝ ΓΙΝΟΥΝ]