"Ars Technica Newsdesk

The kids can't add, but they'll know the industry's stance on copyright
Posted 04/25/2004 @ 4:47 PM, by Ken "Caesar" Fisher







Junior Achievement harnesses volunteers from local business communities to bring a taste of the real world into elementary, middle and high school classes in the United States. While the program has historically catered to disadvantaged schools, JA's stated goals are to "educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives." The program is coming under fire now for pushing what some are calling overt and biased commercialism in the classroom at the hands of a big backer. The backer is the MPAA, who has poured US$200,000 into developing an educational program aimed at teaching kids the MPAA's stance on copyright issues. The program, titled in hip, broken English, is called "'What's The Diff?", and it aims at informing students that downloading and sharing copyrighted material is against the law.

Detractors decry the use of volunteer work that should instead be focusing on actually fulfilling JA's altruistic goals, and many find the program's lack of information on alternative content licensing to be purposefully biased in favor of the large media giants. According to the Boston Globe, the program is also pushing itself by offering cash and vacation prizes to students and teachers.

''It's inappropriate to offer tips, gifts, and prizes in exchange for adults pushing a commercial agenda in the classroom," said Melinda Anderson, spokeswoman for the National Education Association. ''It speaks to a new era of commercialism in classrooms."

One of the program's activities asks students to pretend that they are film industry workers of various sorts, and then asks them how they would feel if people stole from them. The recurring theme is "fairness;" "what is fair" features centrally in the program, although it curiously lacks any discussion of that other fair, namely copyright's favorite counterpart, Fair Use. Rather, the motto of the program will tell you what's really fair: "If you don't pay for it, you've stolen it."

''But that's not true," said Wendy Seltzer, a senior attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. ''That may be what the MPAA would like the copyright law to be, but that's not what the law says." The ''fair use" doctrine allows the public to use copyrighted material for educational purposes. One can use another's work to parody, review, or critique that material. You can even legally swap material, as long as it's not for commercial gain, said Seltzer. ''People tape movies on their VCRs and swap it with friends without getting arrested for piracy," she said.

Additionally, there is a ton of content available that is copyrighted and is still totally free. I guess all of the movies and shows covered under Creative Commons don't count. Wouldn't you want all the kids to know that they can download and watch Reefer Madness for free?

The fact of the matter is that many Fair Use matters are up in the air at the moment, but the program does nothing to alert students to their role in helping voice what they think would be truly fair to copyright holders. Instead, the program merely educates students in the MPAA's solipsistic vision of what copyright should be. Others argue, however, that this kind of education is needed in schools, where kids are otherwise likely to do whatever suits their habits. Yet a key question remains: to borrow a parallel, if the need for education is there, would you want your children educated about health care by a health insurance company?"




From:
http://arstechnica.com/news/posts/1082929620.html

I would like to give both quack valenti(vcr's are like the boston strangler) and cary sue em all(a knuckle sandwich)

I would love them trying it in my school.

I'd have the class shouting "BULLSHIT!" in ten minutes.

What's The Diff?!? (LOL)

Word to yo mutha!
I didn't realize the MPAA was so fly, yo!
Know I know those pizzles be trippin', G.
Peace out home skillets!

Yeah, and meanwhile our children aren't learning how to add or read or write because the MPAA is too busy shoving this drivel down their throat.

This is like when I was in 9th grade and the teacher tried to get me to convince the class that we need to outlaw guns. It didn't work and neither will this.

While discussing how "unfair" it is that "pirates" "steal" movies, they utterly fail to mention how unfair it is to those who work on movies that studios consistantly relocate productions to other countries to save a few bucks.

But I guess when its "unfair" to those who work on movies, but beneficial to the studios, that's just A-OK.

You know, I think it should be illegal for big companies like this to be spreading propaganda to small children because their idea of the law is based on what they haven't either changed or succeeded in court yet.

Someone had better get on their asses and put a stop to this bullshit ASAP!

To 'MasterofChaos': Let's not forget the cases of writers who've been cheated and shortchanged over the years due to "creative bookkeeping" and other similar schemes (remember Art Buchwald's suit over "Coming to America"?).

But it is clear that the only thing the MPAA is out to do is to create a nation of slaves. Obviously, to them "respecting the law" is equated with prostrating oneself and being subservient to a "thing" -- a mere "object" -- and so on.

I did some kinda stock market junior achievement thingy in high school. It was somewhat educational and i think the money we raised went for a good cause.

But this one is just bad and needs to stop

Obviously this is biased and an unfair infiltration to reach a "captive", impressionable audience. The time could be used more wisely by having people who made bad choices come in and tell the kids how it is, or focus on possible careers, or how to be tolerant of other people...etc....anything but these underhanded tactics....I hope the schools at least get some free movies or tickets out of the deal...something!

I got an idea. TEACH THEM SOMETHING. Make them think for themselves and they will be able to draw their own conclusions and learn on their own.

I really hope they'll come to my highschool so I can give them a nice long talk,and tell them that if they're not atleast happy that people want to _see_ their movie,that they should stop making movies.
Art should be about making the art,not about the money.
After all,the money is nice,but if you're in it solely for the money,you're in the wrong field.

'Cause after all,what's the diff 'tween me downloadin' an authorized movie and a craptacular one of theirs?

There's a pretty big "diff" there,and that's that the first person WANTS me to download their movie,becuase it's their expression...
Yadda yadda,I could go on all night on this.

I also wish they'd come to my school... I'd ask them interesting questions about the NET act. Come on now, everybody donate $5 to me and i'll go around to schools and teach the children about the evil side of the MPAA

Jack Valenti most certainly does look like a vampire lol betchya he scares the crap out of the school staff as well as the kids lol

"You can even legally swap material, as long as it's not for commercial gain, said Seltzer. ''People tape movies on their VCRs and swap it with friends without getting arrested for piracy," she said."

THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUVE NAILED IT!

"Others argue, however, that this kind of education is needed in schools, where kids are otherwise likely to do whatever suits their habits. "

yes.. morons.. the law reflect's people's habits, not what some company pushes on them.

i want to know who these "Others" are that are arguing the law should not reflect people's values.