The next elections in the UK may well turn out to be the most colorful (and controversial) event, with the Pirate Party of Sweden poised to enter the fray. A spokesperson for the party revealed the intent of the group to enter the political arena in Britain.

The announcement comes as a piece of bad news for the music industry in Britain. Increasing net piracy, illegal downloading and file sharing have been cutting substantially into profits in the sector. This has lead to a call for stricter regulations to curb file sharing. In the face of such crisis, the Pirate Party’s entrance into politics raises fears and doubts in the industry.

The well known pro-file sharing policy of the Pirate Party is what artists and musicians have been criticizing. The party not only wishes to make file sharing legal but also hopes to encourage it to make the internet a vast library with free access to information and entertainment. The party’s agenda also includes loosening of copyright and patent laws and elimination of excessive surveillance, which it claims has come into being post 9/11. The party has gained significant ground in Sweden and Germany.

The party’s leader Rick Falkvinge was soundly criticized at the In The City conference in Manchester. Organizer Yvette Livesey admitted that she herself had to face several protests for inviting Falkvinge and arranging the debate which sparked severe and wordy criticism in the conference. Livesey however defended her decision by saying that such debate is necessary in a free and fair society.

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 7:51 am and is filed under Consumer World, Music Parlor, Networks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.