In Germany, the Pirate Party has sent a candidate to a state senate; in Sweden, the party has actually elected members of the European Parliament. But whatever its successes, the Pirate Party still won’t be able to sit in on proceedings of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a UN body that sets international rules for trademarks, copyrights, and patents. (WIPO also resolves certain disputes over who should control Internet domain names).
In a closed-door session yesterday, WIPO officials approved several groups for observer status, but delayed ruling on the Pirate Party’s application. The delay will be until at least 2013, and comes despite the fact that the WIPO director-general recommended approval. The application came from Pirate Party International, a non-government organization that represents the major European pirate parties (political parties themselves can’t apply.)
