Russia Won't Recognize The Pirate Party Because It Doesn't Like The Name

from the hey,-it's-no-bull-moose dept

I've made it clear in the past that I'm no fan of The Pirate Party's name. While I agree it draws short-term attention, I think it's long-term limiting, and makes it quite easy (even too easy) for people to misrepresent what the party appears to actually stand for. And, apparently, in some cases, it also means that it's cut off from the political process. Apparently, Russia has refused to recognize the Pirate Party because the Justice Ministry doesn't like the name:
"piracy is an attack on sea of river craft, which is a criminal offense.'
Why, yes, it is. Now will the Russian Justice Ministry claim the same thing the next time the entertainment industry comes calling about infringement?

Of course, the real issue is that the Justice Ministry apparently is unaware of how irony works, or at least doesn't believe that political party names should be ironic. Of course, now the rush is on to come up with a more acceptable name for the party. I vote for the "Party Names Aren't Literal" Party.
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Filed Under: pirate party, politics, russia


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  1. icon
    vivaelamor (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 1:08pm

    Irony

    Is the double use of "of course" in context of piracy also supposed to be ironic? Perhaps more likely is that the Russian Justice Ministry de-calibrated my irony meter.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    crade (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 1:10pm

    Even if the party were really about attacking sea or river (never heard of a white water rafter getting hijacked but ok) I don't see how they shouldn't have the right to have a party supporting it.. Maybe the majority of the people in Russia support attacking sea and river craft and think the laws should be changed so it isn't illegal.. Why shouldn't they be allowed to vote for such a change?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    Pickle Monger (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 1:53pm

    New party name

    Russia, eh? How about "Please Don't Purge Me" Party

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Kirion, 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:15pm

    FYI We have political party named Apple here in Russia

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Gwiz (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:19pm

    Maybe they should drop the "P" and become the Irate Party.

    A lot of the issues that they stand against certainly piss me off.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    Chris Rhodes (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:23pm

    Indeed

    I end up posting about IP a lot in various places, and I try very hard to use "copying" or "illegal copying" rather than "piracy", due to the ridiculousness of the comparison.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. icon
    Gwiz (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:30pm

    Re: Indeed

    ....I try very hard to use "copying" or "illegal copying" rather than "piracy", due to the ridiculousness of the comparison.

    Yeah, me too.

    The problem is that the copyright maximalists like that word because not only does it have negative connotations, it can also be used to conflate very different issues together.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:43pm

    I support the Party Party!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    :Lobo Santo (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:51pm

    Other names...

    Everybody knows you offer two choices, an obvious bad one and the one you want your boss to pick. If they'd just taken my suggestion to also pitch the name "Murder Party" then the rest would've been easy.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:54pm

    If there are river craft out on the open sea, I'm sorry, but you're kind of asking for a catastrophe...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    coldbrew, 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:10pm

    Re:

    Obviously, you've never been on the same river with me ;)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Chris in Utah (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:15pm

    small game

    Jokes that come to mind just add party

    Red Tide

    Feel free to include your own.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Andrew Norton (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:17pm

    "WHY" the party got declined

    Had you read the article, done some research, or even asked the Russian Pirate Party people, Mike, you'd have maybe come up with the reason.

    It has something to do with declining parties and trying to find a reason to do so, to limit electoral competition. Nothing to do with the name itself, it's just an excuse.

    Andrew Norton
    Former chairman of both US Pirate Party & Pirate Parties International

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:20pm

    Obviously, a stealth name is needed, to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. I suggest the "Very Easily Lobbied" Party. That'd get approved in a flash. Heck, they might not even notice the party's actual stance at all.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    The eejit (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:26pm

    Re:

    Nah, they could always go with 'Anonymous Party.' Solve a lot fo problems at a stroke. :p

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Treker, 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:27pm

    Re:

    or, the "Minimum Bribe, One Turnip" party.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Lynda, 23 Mar 2011 @ 4:03pm

    Pirate Party

    Wonder what they would have made of our Raving Monster Loony Party?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    Joseph K (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 4:07pm

    Suggestions

    Hmm, how about:
    The Remix Party
    The Fair Use Party
    The Torrent Party
    The Intellectual Commons Party

    Any of these any good?

    And I like The eejit's Anonymous Party

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. icon
    Andrew Norton (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 4:21pm

    Re: Suggestions

    Ok, that's the copyright reform part addressed.

    What about patent and trademark reform? Privacy reform? Government Accountability?

    well?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. icon
    Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 4:55pm

    Of course, there's always...

    Nick Cave's The Birthday Party, which is not nearly as fun as it sounds. In fact, for most of the kids involved, the pinata and ice cream was greatly overshadowed by Nick Cave's birthday toast, which highlighted their father's murderous past and their mother's earlier years as a junkie.

    On the other hand, the lucky birthday boy was thrilled with his gifts, which included a Bible, a handgun and a bottle of whiskey.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 6:27pm

    Russia only have a good name for parties "Comunist Party"

    And its taken...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. icon
    Jeff (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 7:21pm

    In Russia...

    ...

    ...


    The party has you!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 7:40pm

    Ninja Party for government transparency! (Because ninjas are invisible! Get it?)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    Jose_X, 23 Mar 2011 @ 8:11pm

    Please Include Russians Against Tinseltown Extremists

    How about the PIRATE Party?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    Jose_X, 23 Mar 2011 @ 8:17pm

    Re: "WHY" the party got declined

    There are alternative names possible that would help eliminate that excuse.

    [Eg, see PIRATE below, although obviously you would want a Russian language example.]

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. identicon
    Michael, 24 Mar 2011 @ 3:28am

    Party Names

    "The Party Formerly Known as the Pirate Party"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    aikoaiko2, 24 Mar 2011 @ 5:50am

    Re: In Russia...

    "In Russia...The Party NAMES you!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Jeff, 24 Mar 2011 @ 1:13pm

    My vote for a new name would be....
    Freedom Without Absurd Poltics (FWAP)

    In my opinion, the pirate party will prevail as generations progress. The current models exists simply because you have people in power who barely understand how to operate a 25 year old VCR. How do you expect them to have an actual grasp of net neutrality and DRM?

    You can't stand on the shoulders of giants when the giants are throwing lawsuits at you. Thank you politicians for slowing down the progress of mankind; and diminishing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. identicon
    Gene Cavanaugh, 24 Mar 2011 @ 2:59pm

    "piracy is an attack on sea of river craft, which is a criminal offense."

    Wait a minute! A Pirate Bay is a location, not an offense!
    So is hosting a warship an attack on the nation? How about a military tank - do you fill it with oil? How do you fire the cannons if you do?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    monkyyy, 24 Mar 2011 @ 8:01pm

    Re:

    as do i

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. identicon
    monkyyy, 24 Mar 2011 @ 8:06pm

    Re: Re: In Russia...

    i think u mean
    in (soviet) russia, government controls party's

    link to this | view in thread ]


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