Sweden Formally Recognizes Piracy as Religion

[Greg Tito]

Sweden Formally Recognizes Piracy as Religion

The Missionary Church of Kopimism (pronounced Copy-Me-ism) is a legal religion with 3,000 members.

The act of peer to peer file-sharing is a holy act and information is sacred, according to the tenets of the Missionary Church of Kopimism. An offshoot of Sweden's Pirate Party, the 3,000 members of the church have been attempting to be recognized as an official religion since 2010. After their third application, the Swedish government agency called Kammarkollegiet [http://www.kammarkollegiet.se/english] finally accepted Kopimism as a formal religion when the organization outlined how members pray and conduct services. Despite the ruling, file-sharing of copyright protected creative works is still illegal in Sweden.

"Being recognized by the state of Sweden is a large step for all of Kopimi. Hopefully, this is one step towards the day when we can live out our faith without fear of persecution," said Isak Gerson, spiritual leader of the Church of Kopimism.

"Since Kammarkollegiet has been strict with formalities, we had to apply three times," said Gustav Nipe, a leader in teh Church. "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."

If you're interested in joining the Church of Kopimism, you're in luck because there is no formal initiation or anything. All you have to do is join the members for a "kopyacting" or religious service "where the kopimists share information through copying and remix."

Since the announcement, the Kopimism website has been down due to excessive traffic but the organizers urge you to come back once "the storm has settled."

Source: Kopimistsamfundet [http://kopimistsamfundet.se/]



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[MrTub]

They are not an offshoot of Swedens pirate party.

"Kopimistsamfundet delar postadress med Piratpartiets ungdomsförbund men i övrigt finns det inga kopplingar mellan de olika organisationerna."

And with google translate its

"Kopimistsamfundet parts address with Pirate Party Youth League, but otherwise there are no connections between the different organizations."

 

[vrbtny]

I'm really not sure whether to say "Awesome" or "D'oh."

Probably not as cool to put "Filesharer" as your religion than say, "Jedi" but it is still pretty cool.

 

[Zhukov]

Ha ha, that's kind of funny... I guess?

I do have to wonder exactly what these fine folks hope to gain out of this arrangement though.

 

[BabySinclair]

Ha ha, that's kind of funny... I guess?

I do have to wonder exactly what these fine folks hope to gain out of this arrangement though.

Easy, they think that it will allow them to share information without government involvement. It's pretty smart actually. Don't know how well it would work over there (I'm in the US) but since they can call it "expression of religion," they can call the religion card should the government go after their activities.

 

[MrTub]

Ha ha, that's kind of funny... I guess?

I do have to wonder exactly what these fine folks hope to gain out of this arrangement though.

Easy, they think that it will allow them to share information without government involvement. It's pretty smart actually. Don't know how well it would work over there (I'm in the US) but since they can call it "expression of religion," they can call the religion card should the government go after their activities.

There is no way our Supreme court will agree since then it would become a national security problem since anyone would be able to "convert" and then the government would not be allowed to listen on their activies online which would mean that people just need to use ip phones since that would be information, and the fact that blueprints for bombs and such would be open for the public since they could just say thats information and its sacred for them to share it. same with military secrets and blueprints for all the houses, and credit cards numbers (also information) and such things

 

[Magnus]

I simply cannot face-palm hard enough, so now they've made meanness a relgious issue? (sigh)

 

[Zhukov]

Ha ha, that's kind of funny... I guess?

I do have to wonder exactly what these fine folks hope to gain out of this arrangement though.

Easy, they think that it will allow them to share information without government involvement. It's pretty smart actually. Don't know how well it would work over there (I'm in the US) but since they can call it "expression of religion," they can call the religion card should the government go after their activities.

No, that won't work.

Sure, they can claim file sharing as a religious activity, but that doesn't automatically make it legal for them to break copyright law.

Or to put it another way, Orthodox Christians can baptise their babies all they like, but their priests would still get arrested for throwing other people's children in ponds.

 

[Carlioo]

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry at my own country.... This is just silly...

 

[CapitalistPig]

Wow that could be game, set, match. But im fuzzy on what happens if your church breaks serious laws "in the name of god." so to speak. I mean its not like christians (or any religion) can smuggle guns, or drugs. So if your breaking international felonious laws what happens? Oh and dont drink their kool aid. We cant write them off as a cult yet.

 

[AnarchistAbe]

Seriously??? Seriously??? Am I the only one who feels that this is just absolutely ridiculous? I'm all for freedom of information, but this is something else entirely.

And, on that note:

 

[Azuaron]

Ha ha, that's kind of funny... I guess?

I do have to wonder exactly what these fine folks hope to gain out of this arrangement though.

Easy, they think that it will allow them to share information without government involvement. It's pretty smart actually. Don't know how well it would work over there (I'm in the US) but since they can call it "expression of religion," they can call the religion card should the government go after their activities.

No, that won't work.

Sure, they can claim file sharing as a religious activity, but that doesn't automatically make it legal for them to break copyright law.

Or to put it another way, Orthodox Christians can baptise their babies all they like, but their priests would still get arrested for throwing other people's children in ponds.

It's more like, if I create a religion based around human sacrifice, then sacrifice a human, I'm still going to get arrested for murder. Congress can't make laws that specifically target a religion, but religions/the religious still have to follow all the laws.

ETA: Think about the Mormons. According to the Mormon religion, polygamy is just fine. According to US law, polygamy is not. The Mormons often get around this by living in a polygamous way without being legally polygamous, but our country still won't let a man become legally married to more than one woman, and if you trick the system, you get arrested if they find you out.

 

[Moriarty]

Yeah, so what?

A religion isn't really that easy to seperate from a fraud, it's just people doing stuff together and calling it "prayer" and "religion". it's not like you can measure faith.

 

[Worgen]

Seriously??? Seriously??? Am I the only one who feels that this is just absolutely ridiculous? I'm all for freedom of information, but this is something else entirely.

And, on that note:

[/QUOTE]

It makes more sense then religions that seem to be based around hating on the gays or whatever most of the ones around here are since their main tenant seems to be "gays bad".

 

[tzimize]

That is just a bit silly. But maybe in 2000 years people will believe that Uploader made the universe come into being, and his son Seeder Christ cleansed the world of all its sins.


That would be pretty kickass.

It would indeed.

Also, without being an expert on kopimism, I'd ask the escapist to refrain from sensationalist headlines. One of the reasons I come here is because the site is relatively mellow.

Kopimism is not any more about piracy than bit-torrenting is. Its a philosophical standpoint that happens to coincide with some piracy. Their thoughts about information are interesting to say the least, but they are not pirates.

Many acts gain their definition from culture rather than cold, hard logic. I hope I'm alive 60 years from now, if only to see how the world is when more or less everyone alive has been alive with the Internet around them, and as such might have a different viewpoint on information, sharing and a lot of stuff quite frankly.

 

[Versuvius]

This is win. Spread the word of the great Uploader! All hail the Holy Copy Paste button!

I hope this flies in the UK...

 

[DEAD34345]

Wow, pretty cool. I'm not really sure what else to say...

This doesn't put them above the law in any way, does it?

 

[GeorgW]

Oh, I love being a Swede. I'm not really for piracy, but I just love that this exists. Be it for freedom of religion or just cuz it's hilarious, this is simply awesome.