Swedish lexicographers take note: We here in the U.S. often and carelessly use the phrase “practically a religion” and apply it to ideas that could never actually be a religion, but that for whatever reason are highly regarded by certain persons. Now, though, when referring to the practice of file-sharing, please remember to preface the term with “the religion of.” Or, if you like, just Kopism for short.
The Swedish government agency Kammarkollegiet registered the Church of Kopimism as a religious organization in late December, just before Christmas, the group said in a Wednesday statement. Members of the church applied three times in their more than year-long quest to have the religion formally recognized in Sweden.
Sweden is now the first and only country to recognize Kopimism as a religion, the group said.
“For the Church of Kopimism, information is holy and copying is a sacrament,” it said in a statement. “Information holds a value, in itself and in what it contains, and the value multiplies through copying. Therefore, copying is central for the organization and its members.”
The Church of Kopimism, which holds CTRL+C and CTRL+V (the keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste) as sacred symbols, was founded in 2010 with the hopes that file-sharing would be given religious protection. Followers of the church, who are called Kopimists [Despite knowing this, I couldn’t resist the headline. -ed.], organize so-called “kopyactings,” or religious services where members copy and share information with each other.
My predictions for the subjects of the next religions to be officially sanctioned:
FootballDONE- Donuts
- Fridays
- Biscuits and Gravy