#kopimism considered: sophistry, sacrament or scam?

#KOPIMISM CONSIDERED:SOPHISTRY, SACRAMENT OR SCAM?

Aram Sinnreich Rutgers University

School of Communication & Information !

NCA Conference Nov 21, 2013

WHAT IS KOPIMISM?

KOPIMIST DOGMA 101• There is an “intrinsic value of information . . . irrespective of its content.”

• Kopimism is the “opposite of copyright religion.”

• “No Kopimist is wholly self sufficient, each being just one component of an interconnected and interdependent world”

• “Kopimi is the natural state of the universe”

• Kopimism is “just trying [to] fight against the monopolization of knowledge.”

• Copymixing > Copying

• “The internet is holy.”

SOPHISTRY?

NnEeTt� SsEeCcRrEe

Tt

Our words shall, simultaneously, sound as foolishness upon deaf ears and lovely caresses to those who see and hear, but above all: They should bite firmly into you – and your mom.!100 roads to #g-d:!004. Experiment with research chemicals.!027. Give yourself cult status, and act accordingly.!100. Be careful of burning kittens.

SACRAMENT?Copying Cooperation Quality Creativity

SCAM?“This story . . . has hoax written all over it. Let’s be clear here. This is a religion designed to circumvent piracy laws.

M.I.A.

CONCLUSION

“You who will transcribe this book, I charge you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ … compare what you have copied against the original and correct it carefully.

“the Author of any Book … shall have the sole Right and Liberty of Printing such Book and Books for the Term of One and twenty Years”

“‘Copy and Paste what thou wilt’ shall be the whole of the law.”

THANK YOU.Aram Sinnreich Rutgers University

School of Communication & Information !

NCA Conference Nov 21, 2013

!Twitter : @aram

sinn@rutgers.edu