The Massachusetts Pirate Party was formed in May 2010 by James O’Keefe, Christine Reynolds and Erik Zoltan.

[14] The Pirate Party takes its name from Internet piracy, 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...

"[15] Member Chris Walsh, in an interview with Martin Fredriksson of Linköping University, 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[16] The official party platform is laid out as:[17]