A religious organisation whose central belief is that copying electronic files online is holy, has been officially recognised by a Swedish government agency.
The Church of Kopimism claims that "kopyacting" - sharing information through copying - is akin to a religious service.
Kammarkollegiet, a government agency, registered the church as a religious organisation shortly before Christmas.
Chairman Gustav Nipe said his organisation had to apply three times.
The church, which holds CTRL+C and CTRL+V (shortcuts for copy and paste) as sacred symbols, does not directly promote illegal file sharing, focusing instead on the open distribution of knowledge to all.
Founder Isak Gerson, 19, a philosophy student, hopes that file-sharing will now be given religious protection.
