File-Sharers Denied Official Religion Status in Sweden

All around the world file-sharers are being chased by anti-piracy outfits and the authorities, and the situation in Sweden is no different. While copyright holders are often quick to label file-sharers as pirates, there is a large group of people who actually consider copying to be a sacred act.

Philosophy student Isak Gerson is such a religious file-sharer, and in an attempt to protect this unique belief system he founded The Missionary Church of Kopimism last year. In the hope that they could help prevent persecution for their beliefs, the church then filed a request to be officially accepted by the authorities.

In practice this was easier said than done.

“The application was rejected in early April this year,” Isak Gerson told TorrentFreak. “It was rejected because Swedish law requires a religious communion to have a formalized way of praying or meditation. Our formalized traditions were specified at the time.”

Despite this early setback, the Missionary Church of Kopimism wasn’t going to give up. For a church that holds CTRL+C and CTRL+V as sacred symbols, filing a new application wasn’t too hard. This time, however, they formalized their official rituals, including meditation over shared information and the act of copying.

In the months that followed the Church of Kopimism grew to nearly 1000 members, who all prayed that their religion would be accepted by the Swedish authorities. This week, however, more bad news arrived informing the group that once again they had been denied the right to start a church in Sweden.

“This time, we can’t really see any real reason for our denial. We adjusted our application just the way the Swedish authorities needed, and they still denied us the right to form a church,” founder Isak Gerson told us.

Gerson further told TorrentFreak that they are not sure whether they want to continue with their quest to be officially recognized by the authorities. Nevertheless, even without this official status the church and its members will continue to practice their sacred beliefs.

“One thing is certain though. We will continue meeting, believing in copying, deepen our faith and church, and fight politically for a world where copying is not only accepted by encouraged. We know that this is not only our dream and cause, but our calling,” Gerson concluded.

Prospective followers who embrace the same calling are of course still welcome to join the movement.

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http://torrentfreak.com/file-sharers-denied-official-religion-status-in-sweden-110710/

Nice try guys through probably milions of euro will change hands under the table to block this type of initiative

we ninja's will get them....

What is the point of this? Blaming religious persecution if you're arrested for piracy?

Thats what it sounds like yes.  I dont know how they thought they could get a religion formally accepted by the government where the base practice is an illegal act.  

Not the stupidest idea in the world. I mean Catholic minors are allowed to imbibe alcohol for ritualistic purposes and the scientologists are allowed to bilk followers out of millions of dollars in what would otherwise be deemed quack psychiatry, certainly there's basis for this

Though the government being in big multimedia's pocked on matters of copyright means this would never really gain ground

There are already some accepted religions that include communities where sharing is a rule. Many early Christian communities, including St. Peter's one, shared almost everything, for example. Many American Indian Nations did it too. Many Christian and Buddhist monks do it at the present time too.

Well Scientology is a cult, and anyone dumb enough to follow it deserves to be taken to the bank,  plus thats not really illegal.  And I didnt think that minors were allowed to imbibe alcohol,  I thought you had to be an adult for any ritual that involves alcohol.  But Im not Catholic, so i wouldnt kow for sure.   

I'm pretty sure it was alcoholic, it certainly tasted like alcoholic wine when i drank it when i was 8 (comparing to wine i drank in more regular doses)

Though on the flipside, the government has denied certain religious rites in matters of greater illegality. I remember there was a landmark supreme court case regarding an indian tribe that ritualistically smoked paote (sp?), but legally denied them the right to...

I don't know what he is taking about - Roman catholics don't have any rituals that include drinking alcochol for minors (and actually i haven't seen any for adults too apart from priest himself who does the wine-blood ritual).

Maybe orthodox church (very unlikely) or protestants ?

I fully support the spiritual beliefs of Kopimism. If only all men were that wise we'd be living in paradise.