If you thought Wikipedia's 24-hour blackout was a brilliant tactic against the supposedly draconian Stop Online Piracy Act, chances are you have not heard of Isak Gerson, a 20-year-old philosophy student at Uppsala University in Sweden.
Gerson is the founder and 'spiritual leader' of the Missionary Church of Kopimism, which preaches filesharing, even if it is unauthorised and illegal. Kopimism, derived from the words 'copy me', says the act of copying is sacred, and that even if it infringes copyright laws, it would not amount to stealing. Kopimism would have remained obscure, had Gerson not filed for recognition as a religion. After turning down the request thrice, Sweden, one of the most wired countries in the world, recently gave it religion status.
For the film and music industry, the move has come as a shock. Kopimism, like other recognised religions, can now seek protection from persecution. It means any action from the part of copyright holders to defend their property can now be viewed as an infringement on the Kopimists' right to practise their religion. With thousands of netizens joining every week, and The Pirate Bay, the world's most popular filesharing site, now operating under the auspices of the church, Kopimism might just become the world's fastest growing religion.
www.the-week.com
No comments:
Post a Comment