6.06.2012

Internet, politics and...religion? The case of Kopimism

It is not surprising that companies try to protect themselves from cyberpiracy. And it seems to be rather faire that politics tend to help them to protect themselves. But for how long is this going to be possible?
Indeed, even if, on an ethical and legal point of view, downloading softawares, movies, music, etc... does not appear fair, it seems that the tendancy for increased piracy is unstoppable. The Anonymous and the Pirate Party are perfect example of it. The more companies and politics try out to forbid downloading and illegal exhange of properties, the further associations go in order to legalize it. The most recent case is Kopimism.
Or shoud I say the Missionay Church of Kopimism? Inded, founded by the 19-year-old philosophy student Isak Gerson, Kopimism is a religion in Sweden. This Church has been recognized officially by the Swedish governemnt. But we shall here precise that it is rather easy to found a Church in Sweden - it is almost only an administrative matter.



Kopimism claims that copying information is a sacred virtue, that the serach for knowladge and the circulation of knowledge are sacred.And its constitution claims that:
  • Copying of information is ethically right
  • Dissemination of information is ethically right
  • Copymixing is a sacred kind of copying, moreso than the perfect, digital copying, because it expands and enhances the existing wealth of information
  • Copying or remixing information communicated by another person is seen as an act of respect and a strong expression of acceptance and Kopimistic faith
  • The Internet is holy
  • Code is law
Companies should get prepared not to reject the idea of copying, but to adpat to it, since it appears that  there is not much that can be done against it...

By Natacha

Source: M, le Magazine du Monde

No comments:

Post a Comment