In Germany, the Pirate Party has sent a candidate to a state senate; in Sweden, the party has actually elected members of the European Parliament. But whatever its successes, the Pirate Party still won't be able to sit in on proceedings of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a UN body that sets international rules for trademarks, copyrights, and patents. (WIPO also resolves certain disputes over who should control Internet domain names).

In a closed-door session yesterday, WIPO officials approved several groups for observer status, but delayed ruling on the Pirate Party's application. The delay will be until at least 2013, and comes despite the fact that the WIPO director-general recommended approval. The application came from Pirate Party International, a non-government organization that represents the major European pirate parties (political parties themselves can't apply.)

"I am concerned that the WIPO is not interested in the dialog with this part of the civil society that thinks that the time for a massive reform of the copyright systems has come," PPI co-chairman Gregory Engels wrote in a blog post today.

"This decision is really distressing," wrote the European Parliament's youngest member, Swedish Pirate Party MEP Amelia Andersdotter. She cited a report that the delay took place after objections were raised by a few WIPO member states, including the US, Switzerland, and France.

WIPO officials wouldn't comment on the decision, except to confirm that the delay took place.