File-Sharing Now an Official Religion in Sweden; "In Kopimi We Trust"

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File sharing is now recognized as a religion, at least in some jurisdictions. In an effort to somewhat legitimize file-sharing activities, online activists in Sweden have successfully registered the Missionary Church of Kopimism with the Swedish authorities.

Self-confessed pirates have been practicing their “religion” of swapping digital media since 2010, and have sought to get recognized as an official religion in Sweden. After two years of being turned down several times, the organization has finally been granted status as a state-recognized religion, and have dubbed themselves the Missionary Church of Kopimism.

Of course, there’s no doubt as to what “kopimism” refers to. “Kopimi” means “copy me,” and the religion also holds Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V as sacred symbols, referring to the PC shortcuts of copying and pasting data or content.

The church’s founder, philosophy student Isak Gerson, says getting legitimized as an organization — even a religion — will give people the courage to stand up for what they think is a freedom of their expression. “I think that more people will have the courage to step out as Kopimists. Maybe not in the public, but at least to their close ones.”

However, Gerson acknowledges that “there’s still legal stigma around copying,” with many fie-sharers worrying about going to jail when copying and remixing media. “I hope in the name of Kopimi that this will change.”

Kopimism has a “priest” class called Oparnas, who supposedly exemplify the virtues of file-sharing and help others with this ideal. Followers must undergo a “rite” of disclosing their personal data to the organization, profess their faith in copying, as well as use of the Kopimi logo.

TorrentFreak observes that even though the religion is now formally acknowledged by authorities, it doesn’t mean that file-sharing and copyright infringement are now legal, per se. But what the organization wants is for their beliefs to be considered in drafting and passing of new laws relating to copyright and online transmission of data.

The Missionary Church of Kopimism now has about 3,000 members, up threefold from 1,000 when it launched in 2010. With its new official status, it’s likely that the organization will grow further. However, avid file-sharers might take issue with the fact that one needs to disclosed personal data prior to being part of the organization. Authorities might take heed and try to obtain said records, in the aim of catching online pirates.