Fluorescent Dreams Wax Cylinders - Congratulations to Sweden's Pirate Party!

I can understand reforming copyright, since it is not set up for technologies that can easily make multiple copies and transformations of a protected work. However, what would be the benefit of doing away with patents? It would seem that for the most part, patents haven't been subject to the unnecessarily lengthening copyright has and helps monetizing innovations, including those innovations that have necessitated a change in copyright.

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There's patent trolls that patent something that hasn't really been created yet... and once someone comes up with a way to make it happen, sue for millions of dollars.

My guess is that's what they're trying to stop.

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The duration of patents is probably longer than it needs to be, especially for tech-heavy fields. 20 years is a much longer time, in terms of technical progress, than it used to be.

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I'd almost add the drug industry under that "especially", though of course that's a whole another ongoing debate.

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With all due respect, I disagree on whether 20 years is too long for the drug industry -- mostly because a patent is granted well BEFORE the company goes through the (very expensive) FDA approval process.

But you need to remember: I worked for the drug industry for six years.

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A fair point, I think.

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Seems to me the simple solution is to change patent law for drug companies so the clock starts ticking only after FDA approval.

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That and business method patents tend to make things very confusing. ie: the patent on storing data as ones and Zeros, Amazon's one click, a bunch of more stuff...

Many patents are granted on such bounds just to force all other companies out of the market.

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They are a one-issue party in every meaningful sense. The idea is apparently to vote on everything else entirely based on what the rest of their parliamentary group is voting. Assuming the Pirates join either ALDE or Le Groupe Verts, it means they'll be voting as Liberals or Greens. For some of their voters this may actually mean they won't be the Pirates Who Do Nothing, but that they'll be the Pirates Who Largely Do Things I Didn't Specifically Want Them To Do.

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If you think the Pirates are a one-issue party, wait until you see the Anarchistische Pogo-Partei Deutschlands. Their motto is "Arbeit ist Scheisse!" and they're calling for a 5 hour work week.

Another good one is the Deutsche Biertrinker Union, who say that beer should be free in Germany. That's their entire platform.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg, there were 35 parties on the ballot. My teacher here got a copy of the list and is going to make a copy for me, and I could put it up if you would like to see it. It's pretty funny, actually.

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Ooooooh!!!

Please, please, please! I want to see the list.

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Well, since you asked so nicely...

Biiiig image through this link!

Sorry that a couple parties were cut off from the list... it was impossible to fit them all onto the photocopies, unfortunately.

I could explain each party too, if you would like.

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*sniff*

I'm so proud that Germany put its ESPERANTO party on the ballot!

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