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

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

Wed, Mar 23rd 2011 1:51pm — Mike Masnick

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

31 Comments

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

New party name
Russia, eh? How about "Please Don't Purge Me" Party
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Kirion, 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:15pm

FYI We have political party named Apple here in Russia
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 2:43pm

I support the Party Party!
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: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.
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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...
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coldbrew, 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:10pm

Re:
Obviously, you've never been on the same river with me ;)
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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Treker, 23 Mar 2011 @ 3:27pm

Re:
or, the "Minimum Bribe, One Turnip" party.
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Lynda, 23 Mar 2011 @ 4:03pm

Pirate Party
Wonder what they would have made of our Raving Monster Loony Party?
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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
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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?
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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.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 6:27pm

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

And its taken...
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Jeff (profile), 23 Mar 2011 @ 7:21pm

In Russia...
...

...

The party has you!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 7:40pm

Ninja Party for government transparency! (Because ninjas are invisible! Get it?)
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Jose_X, 23 Mar 2011 @ 8:11pm

Please Include Russians Against Tinseltown Extremists
How about the PIRATE Party?
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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.]
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Michael, 24 Mar 2011 @ 3:28am

Party Names
"The Party Formerly Known as the Pirate Party"
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aikoaiko2, 24 Mar 2011 @ 5:50am

Re: In Russia...
"In Russia...The Party NAMES you!
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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.
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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?
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monkyyy, 24 Mar 2011 @ 8:01pm

Re:
as do i
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monkyyy, 24 Mar 2011 @ 8:06pm

Re: Re: In Russia...
i think u mean
in (soviet) russia, government controls party's
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