[Infowarrior] - Swedish pirate party tipped for EU win

[Richard Forno]

Swedish pirate party tipped for EU win
The backlash has begun
By Nick Farrell
Monday, 1 June 2009, 14:19

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1184453/swedish-pirate-party-tipped-eu-win

THE SWEDISH Pirate Party has been favoured to win at least one seat in  
the European parliament this week.

The party, which wants to bolster Internet privacy, was founded in  
January 2006 and has been getting a lot of support from those who  
think that the music and film industries have gone too far in trying  
to control people's lives.

According to AFP, membership shot up after a Stockholm court on April  
17 sentenced four Swedes to a year in jail for running one of the  
world's biggest filesharing sites, The Pirate Bay.

Opinion polls show the party with between 5.5 and 7.9 percent of  
votes, well above the four percent required to win a seat.

The Swedish press has pointed out that the traditional parties have  
been asleep on the issue and ignored how much support the party has  
gained, particularly among the young.

Since the rest of the Swedes are unlikely to go to the polls it is the  
perfect opportunity for an election sensation and a chance for the  
younger generation to give the entertainment industry a swift kick in  
the nadgers. µ