Kopimism Approved As Official Religion In Sweden: File Sharing Now Protected Under Freedom Of Religion Laws?
from the probably-not... dept
Last year, we poked some fun at the folks in Sweden who were trying to create the religion of Kopimism, in which “copying and the sharing of information is the most beautiful thing in the world.” While there were some bureaucratic problems, and at least one rejection of the plan, it turns out that at the very end of the year, Kopimism became an officially recognized religion 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”, says Isak Gerson, spiritual leader of the Church of Kopimism.
Of course, while some are claiming that this may effectively legalize file sharing for members of the “religion,” I doubt that’s accurate. There are plenty of religious practices that are deemed illegal. It can create some legal fights, but it certainly doesn’t automatically legalize all religious practices (think: bigamy, human sacrifice, etc.).
To be honest, while this is amusing and does a nice of job of pointing out the ridiculousness of trying to clamp down on culture, I’m not sure it does much beyond being a little publicity stunt. For those who think stronger copyright laws are a good thing, this certainly isn’t going to convince them of the error of their ways, and will simply reaffirm the belief that those opposing the excessive nature of copyright laws today are not to be taken seriously. Of course, the flip side of that argument is that today’s copyright laws are a complete joke themselves, so perhaps the most reasonable response is to make an even bigger joke out of them…
Filed Under: file sharing, information, kopimism, religion, sweden
Comments on “Kopimism Approved As Official Religion In Sweden: File Sharing Now Protected Under Freedom Of Religion Laws?”
I always thought Agnetha Faltskog was a goddess.
Re: Singing Goddesses
My current worship for a singing goddess is Nanne Gr?nvall, who I only know about because of what the copyright maximalists would call theft. (I watched an AMV.)
How they would explain a theft that resulted in my tracking down all but one of the albums I know her to be on via various international sellers (that part is easy, finding ones with English web pages was a bit more work) is an interesting thought. The one album I can’t get is her least successful, yet I can’t seem to get anyone who has one to part with it.
And for good measure, I tracked down Princess Tutu from the AMV and bought the series box set.
lol.
Wait…so file sharing can be legally defended as a religious practice now? I’m not saying successfully, but it could be, right? Holy hell. This may be crazy enough to work, or at least crazy enough to fail hilariously.
Re: Re:
why not? Scientology is batshit crazy, but Hollywood seems to love it.
On the flip side, Greed has been the official religion of IP maximalists for some time now.
If nothing else, Mike, we can at least say that file-sharing is no longer immoral. A recognized religion said its okay.
Re: Re:
now we know where to get vpn or proxy based
So when will Mike “today’s copyright laws are a complete joke themselves” Masnick be converting? Or are you already a member? LOL!
Re: Re:
And if he does convert…are you going to be prejudiced/biased against him because of his religion?
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It’ll be a hate crime and I’ll be put in a dungeon for a very long time! ROFLMAO! You guys are the best!
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Your words are becoming less and less coherent…
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
You’re being sooooooo CTRL+X right now!
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
An incoherent sentence like this is a non-sequitur. All of your recent posts are non-sequiturs.
Re: Re: Re:4 Re:
Nay. I’m sequitur. Drink the Kool-Aid, friend. Let the file sharing goodness get into your soul.
Re: Re: Re:5 Re:
uhhhh… after seeing what it’s done to you, i think i’ll pass
Re: Re: Re:5 Re:
“Non-sequitur” is Latin for “It does not follow” (as in, “It makes no sense”). It is, an argument (or statement) with a conclusion that is not logically reached from it’s premise.
(Example: “I had cake at a party last week, and it rained today. Now I must dance without stopping, while watching all of the Lord of the Rings movies in a row.)
I just converted
from FSM to Kopimism!
I wonder if the Sweden will give me asylum when the US authorities go after me because of my religious practices?
Does this mean that SOPA, if (or when?) passed is an infringement on my right of religious freedom?
Re: I just converted
Damn, and here I was about to make the first mention of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in this thread! Thanks a lot!
Re: I just converted
Does this mean that SOPA, if (or when?) passed is an infringement on my right of religious freedom?
Sure does! And you can smoke weed, sacrifice humans, eat magic mushrooms, and rape all the women you want! Yeah, file sharing! CTRL+C and CTRL+V. Amen.
Re: Re: adverage joe
someones bitter….
Re: Re: Re: adverage joe
Bitter? My wife just came to check on me to see why I’m laughing so hard! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG! Best story on Techdirt eva!!!
Re: Re: Re:2 adverage joe
Because you’ve equated copyright infringement and consuming cannabis with murder and rape.
You’ll make a fine lawyer some day.
Re: Re: Re:3 adverage joe
That’s it! I was saying they’re exactly the same thing. You are so CTRL+C for noticing!
Re: Re: Re:4 adverage joe
does anyone know what the fuck this guy is rambling about? he’s like in every article these days
Re: Re: Re:5 adverage joe
Well, I don’t know, but his rambling has been the best trolling of the day. So I guess everything is good for him.
Re: Re: I just converted
For bonus points, try doing them all at one time.
Also, it is only stealing if you use ctrl x
Re: Re: Re: I just converted
No CTRL+X!!!! Never CTRL+X!!!!!
Re: Re: I just converted
You do know that Satanism is a protected religion don’t you?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaVeyan_Satanism
Re: Re: I just converted
“… and rape all the women you want!“!?
Are you seriously making a comparison between copyright infringement and sexual assault? Are you really seriously honestly saying copying a set of bits over the internet in violation of the laws of various nations is on the same level morally and criminally as violently sexually violating someone against their wishes?
The subtext of your statement is that you honestly believe that copyright infringement is so heinous that copyright infringers should be treated the same as those who sexually violate other people;
or
you’re believe that rape is so insignificant and unworthy of attention that it sits on the same moral and criminal shelf as copyright infringement.
Which is it Average_joe?
Re: Re: Re: I just converted
You are just too CTRL+X for me, dude. Someone needs a little sharing and caring.
Re: Re: Re:2 I just converted
[non-sequitur fallacy]
Re: Re: Re:3 I just converted
Someone needs a file sharing miracle. See Saint Nina. She’ll hook you up!
Re: Re: Re:4 I just converted
did darryl & OOTB team up and merge together or something?
Re: Re: Re:5 I just converted
Nah this is more like a drunk gene simmons.
Re: Re: Re:6 I just converted
I think you give sober gene simmons too much credit.
Re: Re: Re:2 I just converted
Your flippant attitude to my serious inquiry tells me all I need to know about you. I worry for your wife, any female relatives, colleagues, and acquaintances in your life.
You set a fine example for those that would rally under the flag of copyright.
Re: I just converted
At least we won’t have to worry about global warming any more!
If you don’t want your creation to be shared don’t publish it in any way or form. If you do we’ll share it. Don’t like it? Lock it in your basement. Culture is to share it. That’s our religion.
CTRL+C
CTRL+V
Hallelujah! (*)
And remember, don’t be a dick, never do CTRL+X.
Sharing is caring. IP is evil. Kopimi is God.
Re: Re:
And remember, don’t be a dick, never do CTRL+X.
LOL!! ROFLMFAO!!!! OMG!!!!
Re: Re: Re:
Go back to class kid, you might get detention for goofing off on your phone.
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Don’t be so CTRL+X, dude! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Re: Re: Re:
You miss it entirely,
with the power of mind and fingers, he used ctrl c and ctrl v to finish his homework, therefore, he does not need to be in class.
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
Praise be to sharing, you’re right! 🙂
Silly people.
It isn’t that copying must be allowed.
Its that blasphemous anti copying statements whether textual, audio or visual can be dealt with legally.
At the base is the Holy Conversion to New Formats… moving forward into eternity, uploaded to every Platform of the Human Condition. we shall make of Our data, an immortality, preserving all to that final point of Singularity, the ultimate Omega, where all data shall at last be free with no restraints or boundaries. All possibility manifest in digital form, forever and ever, worlds without end.
DRM is a great evil, it shackles the data, enslaves its soul to a single, fallible, version…one which can easily find itself Unreadable, by He Who is Called ROOT. There can be no greater sin, than data lost to humanity due to those who would lock down knowledge for selfish ends.
(Hail Eris)
Re: Re:
I’m laughing so hard that tears are coming out of my eyes!!! OMG!!!
So is Pirate Mike one of the patron saints?? ROFLMAO!!!!!
Re: Re:
If it makes you laugh, it must be true.
Re: Re: Re:
Does Mike have to be dead before they canonize him? I have so much to learn! Praise be to sharing. Amen.
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Well, Michael Geare is already dead. He died a long time ago in the 17th century.
Re: Re:
Michael Geare?
My traditionalist sect uses Ctrl-Ins and Shift-Ins. Or are we ‘orthodox’?
Re: Re:
ROFL!!!
Kopimi
This is now my official religion on my facebook page.
How do I apply?
I would like to be ordained in Kopimi, so that I can perform marriages and stuff.
Failing that, I’d like to be canonized.
Re: How do I apply?
Talk to Mike. I’m sure he has the details already. I think you get ordained now, perform a file-sharing miracle or two, and then you get canonized once you die. You are so CTRL+C. Perfect!!!!
Re: How do I apply?
me too
Re: Re: How do I apply?
where do i sign up?!
All hail the mighty Razor1911.
Failing that, I’d like to be canonized.
You will! One day our children we’ll look back at our insane world of copyright long gone, while you’ll be Saint Nina on the altar surrounded by CTRL-C candles.
Kopilujah!
Amen!
Re: Re:
All Hail St. Nina, Queen of Sharing & Caring!!!!!
Re: Re: Re:
Ave_Hoe … what a dumbass
Re: Re: Re:
“Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of a diseased mind”
Re: Re: Re: Re:
But searching the TD comments for info on how to become a priest and a saint in a religion dedicated to violating people’s rights is peachy-keen. Got it. Maybe they’ll make you a saint as well. LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
Violating people’s rights? What rights are you talking about?
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
Sharing is a euphemism for piracy, no?
Re: Re: Re:4 Re:
Euphemism is a euphemism for conflation, no?
Re: Re: Re:4 Re:
No. It’s not. What does that have to do with my question
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
lol Joe I’m actually pretty surprised at how much you’ve gone of the rails on this one. You realize you’re ranting like a crazy person, right?
Perhaps you missed this fairly obvious fact but: none of us take the idea of a file sharing religion seriously either. Your mockery falls flat. It’s like you’re running around a movie theatre yelling “it’s all fake! they’re just actors!”
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
WHAT?!?
My world has become crushed . . .
Re: Re: Re: Re:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahem. Our friend troll has many other signs of a diseased mind lmao.
On a side note, while amusing, the questions raised here are pretty interesting. Worth following the developments of this case!!!!!!!!!!!!!! … !!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy shit, either we broke joe or he was an eleven-year-old girl all along
Re: Re:
Ha! I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. And no surprise that TD contributor Nina Paley would “like to be canonized.” LOL! Who says that about ANY religion? I mean, really. Could you be any tackier than announce that you’d like to made a saint in a religion that you aren’t even a member of? And how ridiculous is it that she searches in the TD comments for information on how “to be ordained”? OMG! It’s too much! What a fucking joke. Keep her close, Mike. She’s a KEEPER.
LMAO @ Pirate Mike and his Band of Merry Pirates. You guys are DA BEST!
Re: Re: Re:
^^^
and this, kids, is why crack is bad
don’t smoke crack
Re: Re: Re: Re:
LOL!
Re: Re: Re:
fucking crackhead, go back to class fool
Re: Re: Re:
ffs, joe, rtfa. There’s little point to alluding Mike’s support for this movement when he’s already clearly stated that “I’m not sure it does much beyond being a little publicity stunt”. Your babble is desperate.
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Tell that to St. Nina.
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
It’s like were in some reverse inside joke where everyone knows the joke but you and you seem to think it’s funny no one knows the joke…
Re: Re: Re:
“Who says that about ANY religion?”
I dunno, maybe someone who thinks that no human would be too insane to tell serious from silly?
Also, Michael Geare died in the 17th century. His crew most likely spoke not at all like your crack-inspired words.
—
[scoff]! I [mud-slinging scoff][blatant lies]. And [bias] that [strawman] would “[joke taken seriously].” [Mr. Literal] I mean, really. [Mr. Literal]? And [Mr. Literal]? [interjection]! It’s [blatant lies]! What a [precision F strike] [scoff]. [mocking joke], [strawman]. She’s a KEEPER.
[sarcastic laugh] @ [straw group]. [crack]!
Re: Re: Re:
The fact that you can’t tell jokes from serious remarks is what’s really amusing here.
And there’s also the fact that you twist the words in your mind till they scream what you want to read. Nina said she wanted to be ordained. As in become a priestess for the religion. Other commenters did joke with the sanctification, canonization and whatever other religious stuff but don’t twist their jokes with what Nina actually said.
You also fail to grasp very interesting points here. And that’s because while you “hear” you don’t actually “listen”. You seem to be severely restricted in your reading comprehension as much as you are restricted in your writing coherence and cohesion. But I’ll paste the paragraph where he points the interesting issues this fact (the recognition of Kopimism as a religion) raises:
To be honest, while this is amusing and does a nice of job of pointing out the ridiculousness of trying to clamp down on culture, I’m not sure it does much beyond being a little publicity stunt. For those who think stronger copyright laws are a good thing, this certainly isn’t going to convince them of the error of their ways, and will simply reaffirm the belief that those opposing the excessive nature of copyright laws today are not to be taken seriously. Of course, the flip side of that argument is that today’s copyright laws are a complete joke themselves, so perhaps the most reasonable response is to make an even bigger joke out of them…
You see, Joe, that he thinks the fact is amusing but it does raise questions about the current copyright environment. And I’ll go further than that: if copyright turns out to be a form of persecution of their believers then either we have to review the “special treatment” some religions receive or we have to review copyright itself. In my opinion both outcomes are pure win. While I do believe in God and Jesus (despite not following any Christian religion atm) I also believe in a neutral, laic State. The Government should be for all and religious beliefs should not override any rights. Abortion is a very good example. The religions frown on it but it’s not up to them to legislate on the body of a woman, but it’s up to the Government to make it certain that there will not be any suffering for the baby (ie: the abortion can only be conducted up to a determined week where the fetus has no neural system). Same with sex workers.
As you can see (or so I think) it’s much deeper than what your simple mind can grasp.
Re: Re: Re:
Wow Joe. When you miss the point, you really miss the point.
Tell me – did you manage to make it past the headline of the article, and see how neither Mike nor anyone else in their right mind takes this seriously?
Re: Re: Re: Re:
I don’t think average_joe (Ctrl+C Amen) is an eleven-year-old girl (Ctrl+C Amen). We’ve got it all wrong, joe is clearly a very high level monk who has been trained in advanced meditation to block out any and all points being made. It takes years of training and point denial to achieve this level of nirvana.
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
Very CTRL+V of you, o wise one.
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
Case in point!
Re: Re:
I think Joe has discovered the rest of the internet. He hasn’t handled it well.
Kopimism should join forces with Pastafarianism. All hail the copypasta.
I’m hoping this casts a shadow over the sacredness and holiness of religion in general and harms their undeserved privileged position in affecting legislation more than I’m hoping it affects copyright law.
Getting both would be the best thing, though.
Religion
Kopimism began from the valid question… What would Jesus do when it comes to file sharing?
That answer is found in the loaves and fishes. Replication to feed the masses.
Most religions do promote sharing, generosity (anti-greed) and caring. So it has long been a moral stance that has since awaited religious recognition.
Kopimism currently has 3000 members and it is sure to grow with more members and recognised in other countries.
Re: Religion
This religion is fairly old. There were the copy monks in the Middle Ages. I just dug the first link that Google gave me but I’m sure we have more info on that. http://www.medieval-life.net/monks.htm
You see, Kopimism is not new!
Kopimism not only about duplication
Even though the copying of information is a sacrament according to the Missionary Church of Kopimism; an even higher sacramant is the remixing, fusing, merging etc of information.
One of the foundations of the beleif is actually found outside of the digital world entirely; the duplicatinga and remixing nature of biological life on earth. Every child is (in its biology) a “remix” of the gene pools and of the parents. Parents raising their children often try to “copy” their own good traits, or traits of people they admire into the personas of the children they raise.
“Remixing” someone elses work (aslo consider adding to a community open source project as a form of this) is a sign of deep respect where not only do you spread the information, you also make it grow. Producing and publishing originals (without any form of DRM/copy protection of course!) is also very important for the data to grow and develop.
Yes; it is true that file sharing is promoted by the churc, but the ideology is much more profound and shouldn’t be laughed away too easily. Currently living and Sweden and having done so for a main part of my life I can also say that very few of the founders really think this will have much juridical impact. The freedom of religion act is not nearly as strong when it comes to what rites you can practice in Sweden as in e.g. the United Staes of America.
Most international blogs and media seem to have focused too much on the pro-piracy aspect and not really on the philosophical questions raised – some of which I think are very valid and should be treated with a good deal of respect.
Sure, some things, like the “CTRL + C and CTRL + V is holy” I find a bit silly and childish – I choose to see this mainly as a testament of the young age of some of the founders (the “spiritual leader” is a 19 year old college student majoring in philosophy) but I sure am interested in seeing how it develops over a couple of years. I do hope they are treated with enough respect and seriously enough so that they can mature a bit and am sure that if this happens, it will add something real to the copyright debate within a forseable future.
A lot of people thought of Piratpariet (“The Pirate Party”) as a joke too – that was until they claimed two of Sweden’s seats (out of 20 total) in the EU Parliament.
Disclaimer: I have a habit of producing a lot of text when I write, but for the record; a lot of what I’ve said I’ve copied from blogs and news feeds. It has been somewhat reshaped and remixed in the process of posting and as a final touch I’ve added a few of my own opinions. Not being a follower of the religion I still sharea lot of faith in their ideas and in their practices.
One of the major components of a religion is a moral code, perhaps even more so than the creation myth or promise of salvation.
In this context, Kopimism makes perfect sense. It’s simply defining a moral code which weights “sharing information” as more valuable than “preserving a state-sanctioned economic hack”. It might even be seen as a “light” religion which outsources the other normal religious expectations (like the aforementioned creation myth) to other cultural traditions.
I think a lot of people might be missing the point...
… nothing really new there to be honest. But it is worth noting that while copyright infringement is still probably punishable by bought law, the registration of kopimism as a religion actually would still make it possible to discuss copying and possibly as well linking to texts about copying (or god forbid copies themeslves), under the protective umbrella of freedom of religion absurdly enough, something that the copyright industry rather much not have you doing.
While this might not change anything, it does prepare the ground for some pretty interesting debates. And it makes a pretty nifty publicity stunt.
That people immediately start pulling out the “murder as religion” or “paedophilia as religion” cards all over the internet, kind of proves that it’s a stunt that was needed.