PIRATES want a fair and balanced copyright law based on the interests of society as a whole.

We strive for the abolition of information monopolies. The European Union has given in to a series of demands to introduce information monopolies that are supposedly designed to motivate creators and inventors to produce more works. In reality the only beneficiaries of the monopolies are huge corporations, while the market as a whole is failing. This market failure is apparent by the frequent bullying of individuals and SMEs by collecting societies and the loss of orphan works to society. Our goal is to create an environment where the motivation to create goes hand in hand with freedom of information.

Improved public availability of information, knowledge and culture is a prerequisite for the social, technological and economic development of our society. PIRATES therefore demand that copying, storing, using and providing access to literary and artistic works for non-commercial purposes must not only be legalised but protected by law and actively promoted. Everyone shall be able to enjoy and share our cultural heritage free from the threat of legal action or censorship.

The commercial monopoly given by copyright should be restored to a reasonable term. Derivative works shall always be permitted, with exceptions that are very specifically enumerated in law with minimal room for interpretation.

The internet as a medium should know no borders. PIRATES consider artificial national barriers for cultural goods a hindrance to the European internal market and demand their abolishment. A change of approach is required in the area of rights to intangible goods and their respective enforcement practices.

Further monopolies in the sectors of information and culture have to be prevented. By law, the state should only allow or maintain monopoly rights for intangible goods if these are in the public interest. Any monopoly rights must be temporally limited, neither their time-span nor their scope may be expanded retrospectively.

The creation of commons, such as free software, free cultural goods, open patent pools and free and open educational material, must be promoted and legally protected.

Social life, increasingly taking place in digital spaces, must not be restricted by monopoly rights over intangible goods. The introduction of “fair use“ regulations will ensure that social interactions remain unencumbered.

European collecting societies must ensure comprehensive transparency, fair participatory rights for their members and fairer contract terms for artists.