The Massachusetts Pirate Party (MassPirates) is the
affiliate of the
United States Pirate Party
The United States Pirate Party (USPP) is an American political party founded in 2006 by Brent Allison and Alex English.Milchman, El"The Pirates Hold a Party" ''Wired Magazine'', 2006-06-20. Retrieved on 2009-02-20, The party's platform is aligned ...
and a political designation in Massachusetts officially recognized by the
Secretary
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
of the
. The Massachusetts Pirate Party was formed in May 2010 by James O’Keefe, Christine Reynolds and Erik Zoltan. They are active in promoting privacy, transparent government, and innovation by reining in copyright laws and eliminating patent laws. MassPirates ran candidates for State Representative in 2014 and 2016 and elected their first office holder in 2015.
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History
The MassPirates officially became registered as a party in Massachusetts in 2011. Massachusetts was the first state to have a registered pirate party. In 2012, they ran the first
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
candidate, JP Hollembaek, in
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
history. Hollembaek ran for state representative in the
16th Middlesex District. In 2014, MassPirates ran two candidates, Noelani Kamelamela for
27th Middlesex District and Joseph Guertin for
8th Worcester district. In 2015, then-party Quartermaster Steve Revilak became the first pirate in the United States to be elected to office, elected to
Arlington town meeting
Town meeting is a form of local government in which most or all of the members of a community are eligible to legislate policy and budgets for local government. It is a town- or city-level meeting in which decisions are made, in contrast with ...
. As of April 2021, Steve Revilak still serves on town hall. In 2016, Aaron James ran for
27th Middlesex District. In 2022, a party member ran an unsuccessful write in bid for the
4th Worcester district.
Platform
The Pirate Party takes its name from
Internet piracy
Online piracy or software piracy is the practice of downloading and distributing copyrighted works digitally without permission, such as music or software. The principle behind piracy has predated the creation of the Internet, but its online popul ...
, sharing media online with peers without paying for it. James O’Keefe has said of the Pirate platform, "People shouldn't be going to jail because they're sharing files... Fundamentally, the Internet has changed the way we share culture and the way artists can be compensated, and we need to embrace those changes rather than stifling the innovation they create." Member Chris Walsh, in an interview with Martin Fredriksson of
Linköping University
Linköping University (, LiU) is a public research university based in Linköping, Sweden. Originally established in 1969, it was granted full university status in 1975 and is one of Sweden's largest academic institutions. The university has fou ...
, said "there will be no fixing copyright until you fix the underlying problem with the influence of money on politics" and blames the business model:
"The entertainment industry has this huge library of legal rights, and they can get a great return by lobbying to increase the value of those legal rights, so it's sort of a big part of their business model to spend money on lobbying to make your rights more valuable... The high-tech industry spends money on
making new products, innovation and new services, while the entertainment... can get a great return by lobbying to increase the value of those legal rights"
—''The Pirate Party and the Politics of Communication''
The official party platform is laid out as:
* Putting People Before Corporations
* Opening up Government
* Defending Your Privacy
* Promoting Culture & Knowledge Through Copyright Reform
* Fostering Innovation by Abolishing Patents
* Affirming Individual Autonomy
* Education for All
* Health Care is a Human Right!
* Freedom for Future Generations Requires a Sustainable & A Livable Future
* Addiction Policy
Pirate Council
Officers
* Captain – James O’Keefe
* First Officer – Steve Revilak
* Quartermaster – Joseph Onoroski
* Pr/media director – Elijah McGee
* Activism Director – Sam Capradae
* Swarmwise Director – Christine Reynolds
References
External links
Official Website
{{MassachusettsPoliticalParties
Political parties in Massachusetts
Political parties established in 2010
2010 establishments in Massachusetts
Pirate parties