Pirate Party in Berlin election support surge

The Pirate Party, an independent political group who claim to represent digital rights and civil liberties for file sharers, have gained a landmark 8.9% of votes in the preliminary results of the Berlin local elections.

Boasting 12,000 members since forming in 2006, the party opposes European data retention laws and information privacy, as well as calling for major changes to copyright laws.

With legislation like the Digital Economy Act dividing voters in the UK, and similar laws being introduced in a state-by-state basis in the US, expect to see more political parties leaning heavily on issues of digital rights.

“We will get right to work,” said Andreas Baum, Pirate party to ZDF television according to the Washington Post.

“This is all new for us.”