This article is more than 1 year old

Official: File-sharing is a religion... in Sweden

Cop a load of Kopimism

Sweden has acknowledged that online file-sharing can be deemed a religion, after campaigners fought to get their cause recognised for more than a year.

The Church of Kopimism was apparently registered by the Swedish governmental agency Kammarkollegiet, which - among other things - manages the purse strings on behalf of organisations linked to the state or the Church of Sweden.

According to a statement from the Kopimists themselves, the pro-piracy outfit's church was recognised as a religious org "just before Christmas".

It took three attempts before Kammarkollegiet caved in, said Kopimist board chairman Gustav Nipe.

"I think it might have something to do with the governmental organisations abiding by a very copyright friendly attitude, with a twisted view on copying," he thundered.

All of the kopimi are apparently grateful that Sweden has become the first country to recognise that file-sharing is in fact a religion.

Some might draw comparisons with the controversial Church of Scientology, which is recognised principally in the US as a religion, and also with Jediism, which is yet to be decreed as a faith by anyone on planet Earth.

What exactly are the Kopimists preaching, you might ask?

Well, the religious group's spiritual leader, Isak Gerson, hopes that Kopimism's followers will one day be able to "live out [their] faith without fear of persecution".

Sweden's courtrooms had previously served as the centre of The Pirate Bay drama, which led to four co-founders of the notorious BitTorrent site being handed prison sentences and fines for their involvement in running the site.

The men saw their case reach Sweden's appeals court in September 2010, however the verdict went against them in late November that year. A Supreme Court hearing is now being pursued in the country.

Here's a final word from your Church of Kopimism sponsors:

"The organisation formalises a community that's been well spread for a long time already. The community of kopimi requires no formal membership. You just have to feel a calling to worship what is the holiest of the holiest: information and copy.

"To do this, we organise kopyactings - religious services - where the kopimists share information with eachother through copying and remix.

"Copy and seed." ®

More about

More about

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like