brAnn On SWeden
copyright
clear standpoint that it only cares about its two threshold for gaining seats in parliament and
main questions: better protection of the integrity thus cannot afford to loose voters to the PP.
In a rare case, Mag v. IKEA, the Supreme Court
of Internet users and revised IP laws.
decided that the Mini Maglite torch is copyright-
So what impact will the PP have on the other
protected. The case gives valuable guidance when
The PP will support any other party in any other parties’ programmes? The PP call for an
assessing copyright for industrial design (see page
question as long as that other party reciprocally abolishment of the patent system is probably too
73 for more detail).
supports the PP. In a sense, the PP is more like
unrealistic for anyone else to consider and does
a lobby organisation than a traditional political
not appear to have any considerable support from
modern-day pirates
party. The relatively low participation in the
the general public. The question of the shortened
2009 EUP elections (45 percent), and a common
length for copyrights may be appealing to some
Following the Pirate Bay court case in first notion among Swedish voters that the EUP does
parties, along with the related question about
instance at the Stockholm City Court, the not have very much real power, may have helped
the right to copy copyrighted material for non-
implementation of IPRED and some other this very focused party to gain its seat.
commercial purposes, without the copyright
regulations that have raised concerns about the
holder’s consent.
protection of the integrity of Internet users, the
The situation will, however, be different in the
Pirate Party (PP) has become the third-largest
elections for the Swedish Parliament, which are
As this is now frequently done by many young
political party in Sweden, as counted by number
to be held in September 2010. Voters will then be
people, e.g. via The Pirate Bay, the present laws
of members. Only the Social Democrats and
more prone to vote for a party that has standpoints
have been described as “criminalising an entire
the liberal/conservative Moderates are larger.
in all relevant political issues. An indication that
generation”. The copyright holders are also
However, one must take into consideration that
this is the case was also given by an early opinion
frequently equated with large American media
the PP does not have any fee for membership
poll published on 23 August, wherein only 1.6
corporations that, in this highly strung debate,
and anyone can register as a member through its
percent said that they would vote for the PP. The
are portrayed as having court proceedings against
website.
traditional parties will of course also analyse the
youths as their core business. The debate on this
PP’s success in the EUP election, monitor public
issue will be influenced in part by the Svea Court
The PP did, however, receive 7.1 percent of the debate and incorporate the parts that in some
of Appeal’s decision in the Pirate Bay case.
votes in the elections to the EU Parliament (EUP) way correspond with their own values. This will
in June 2009, a fact that cannot be disputed. It be especially true for the smaller parties that The question of protection of the integrity of
did this despite, or perhaps because of, its very may be struggling to keep above the four percent Internet users seems to be slightly different. In
48 World Intellectual property review September/October 2009
www.worldipreview.com
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