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Anti-Copyright Pirate Party Seeks Official Recognition

The party, which formed about a year ago, is seeking statements of support starting in Utah.
The Pirate Party of the United States, which focuses on revising online copyright laws, has mobilized to register as a legitimate party in Utah.

The party, which formed about a year ago, announced last week that it is seeking statements of support, which would be the first in a series of steps toward the creation and official registration of the Pirate Party of Utah.

"We feel that Utah is an ideal state to begin registration of the Pirate Party as a political body," Andrew Norton, spokesperson for the Pirate Party of the U.S., said in a prepared statement "Utah has a strong history of political diversity, and technological progress."

The group has until early February 2008 to file 2,000 signatures from registered voters in Utah.

"This is a big step forward for our party," said Ray Jenson, interim administrator for the Pirate Party of Utah, in a prepared statement. "Utah is a perfect place to start. With the right people, we actually stand a chance at turning around the civil liberties situation."

Jenson could not be reached immediately to explain why Utah is the first state the group has targeted.

Norton said that "voters in Utah are now one step closer to being able to voice their opinions on the key issues our party stands for."

The U.S. chapter is part of a global effort and it maintains a Web site outlining the group's issues, which mainly center on fighting copyright laws and piracy crackdowns. The Pirate Party first became active in Sweden. It also has branches in Belgium, Italy, and France.

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