The German Pirate Party’s rise from DRM opponent to legitimate political force

There are Pirate Parties all over the world, but the political ideology has managed to gain particular traction in Germany. Over at GigaOM, David Meyer chronicles the rise of the Pirate Party in Europe’s biggest economy, which includes winning a number of seats in the Berlin state election last year. As with its counterparts in other countries, the German party emphasis openness in government — going so far as to require any potential coalition partners to agree to livestream negotiations — and even uses an open-source web tool called Liquid Feedback to present, formulate, and vote on policies. The group has come a long way from its origins in fighting intellectual property issues, and now the question is whether or not it can continue to grow into a major political force, not just in Germany but all over the world.