Sweden has long been a hotbed for the file-sharing movement. From the early days of the Pirate Bay to the establishment and eventual triumph of the Pirate Party in European Parliament elections, Swedes have been on the forefront of the battle for the free exchange of information.

This week things were taken one step further with the recognition of the first church devoted to copying and sharing information.

Dubbed the "Church of Kopimism," the group has been recognised by the Swedish Kammarkollegiet as an official church. On the official Church of Kopimism site, the group said it had to apply three times before finally gaining recognition.

According to its site, the church considers the act of copying information to be a sacred act for its members.

"For the Church of Kopimism, information is holy and copying is a sacrament," the group said.

"Information holds a value, in itself, and in what it contains and the value multiplies through copying."

A posting to church's Wikipedia entry further suggests that Kopimism considers the "Ctl+C" and "Ctl+V" symbols to be sacred

06 Jan 2012