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By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
February 13, 2008 03:30 PM

Teens appear to be willing to curtail illegal downloading when told they face fines or jail time.

This finding, among many in a survey published by Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) on Wednesday, is the basis for the software company's new campaign to teach teens respect for intellectual property rights.

"Widespread access to the Internet has amplified the issue of intellectual property rights among children and teens," said Sherri Erickson, global manager of Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative, in a statement. "This survey provides more insight into the disparity between IP awareness and young people today and highlights the opportunity for schools to help prepare their students to be good online citizens."

Microsoft's survey found that about half of the teenagers surveyed (49%) said they are not familiar with the rules and guidelines for downloading content from the Internet. Only 11% understood the rules well, and of those, 82% said downloading content illegally merits punishment. Among those unfamiliar with the law, only 57% supported punishment for intellectual property violations.

It's not clear whether Microsoft's statement to teen respondents -- "When you do not follow these rules you are open to significant fines and possibly jail time" -- is entirely accurate, particularly when teens under the age of 18 are involved. Emily Berger, an intellectual property fellow at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is skeptical. "I think it's being used as a scare tactic," she said. "It's a real stretch of the law to say it's theoretically possible."

Nevertheless, Microsoft wants to correct teens' woeful ignorance. To do so, it has turned to Topics Education, a developer of custom curricula, to create a curriculum called "Intellectual Property Rights Education" for middle school and high school teachers. The Microsoft-sponsored curriculum consists of Web-based resources and case-study driven lesson plans that aim to engage students about intellectual property issues.

To support its teachings, Microsoft has launched MyBytes, a Web site where students can create custom ringtones, share content -- "their own content," as Microsoft makes clear -- and learn more about intellectual property rights.

As to whether Microsoft can teach teens to respect intellectual property, the jury is out. But the company has tried to do so before and has little to show for it. In 2004, Microsoft was among the companies backing "Play It Safe in Cyber Space," a national campaign backed by the Business Software Alliance and funded by the Department of Justice, to dissuade kids from downloading content from peer-to-peer networks. Needless to say, the campaign's cartoon ferret mascot hasn't exactly put an end to online copyright violations.

Indeed, while such educational efforts win funding from intellectual property stakeholders, they have yet to win the hearts and minds of the public. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) maintains a Web site called CampusDownling.com to encourage legal downloading. And since 2003, it also has been known to sue people it believes to have downloaded music illegally.

Access Copyright, a Canadian copyright enforcement group, in 2006 launched a "Captain Copyright" Web site and backed a lesson plan to teach students respect for copyright law. The project was greeted with widespread ridicule online and accusations that the site itself was violating copyright law.

In August 2006, the site was shuttered and this explanation was subsequently posted: "Despite the significant progress we made on addressing the concerns raised about the original Captain Copyright initiative, as well as the positive feedback and requests for literally hundreds of lesson kits from teachers and librarians, we have come to the conclusion that the current climate around copyright issues will not allow a project like this one to be successful."

The Microsoft survey also found that many teens believe online music is overpriced. It found that 41% of teens believe the cost to download a song should be between $0.50 and $1. Twenty-six percent of respondents said digital songs should cost less than $0.50 and 21% said online music should be free.

Only 11% understood the rules well, and of those, 82% said downloading content illegally merits punishment.

Then they don't understand the "rules" at all. There is no such thing as illegal downloading.

The other 89 percent laughed.

It found that 41% of teens believe the cost to download a song should be between $0.50 and $1. Twenty-six percent of respondents said digital songs should cost less than $0.50 and 21% said online music should be free.

Leaving 12 percent who just don't have much of a clue about anything, possibly completely including the ones who think they know the rules.

obviously microsoft hasn't read the law. downloading is not a crime.

perhaps more legal downloads would be sold if they'd adopt the pricing model of a few pennies per MB of file size & let the consumer pick the bit rate & format.

I seem to recall another online service doing that, until the RIAA & it's cronies pressured the US government to extort a foreign government into shutting them down.

"Microsoft's survey found that about half of the teenagers surveyed (49%) said they are not familiar with the rules and guidelines for downloading content from the Internet. Only 11% understood the rules well, and of those, 82% said downloading content illegally merits punishment. Among those unfamiliar with the law, only 57% supported punishment for intellectual property violations."

Most teens are more prone to do something they are told not to do -- for the thrill of the *risk* of being caught and the satisfaction of not having been caught. This isn't exactly a state secrete. It's a natural aspect of growing up as teenagers figure themselves out and figure out how life works. It's the same reason most teens like video games. It's not so much that most teens enjoy "doing so-called bad things" its just that teens enjoy a challenge.

Teenagers -- once they have the truth -- are also more prone to civil rebellion.

The 60's: "Hell No, We Won't Go!" being a very good example as far as talking about one of the things in life that does not change in a world where change is the rule, not the exception.

If school was more challenging and less demanding, things would be better. Yes, there is a difference between the two.

Schools are more demanding trying to fit everyone in a "one size fits all" system that didn't work -- trying to hammer the square peg into the round hole by saying "do as we say, OR ELSE!" ... schools don't teach you to think -- they teach you to OBEY. There is a huge difference.

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Seeing as this article is an issue about downloading -- and also seeing as Shmoo no longer has access to release other peoples articles now (only his own) and whomever does release the articles seems to have fallen asleep for the last few days -- until my article about downloading music on the Internet actually makes it to the front page... I'm going to post it below:

LEGAL MUSIC SEARCH IS BACK!

After several years of trying to figure out how to format this website correctly -- everything from custom engine scripts, the Synchronet Web Interface and even e107 CMS -- the innovative new "Google Co-Op" feature has been the ticket to finally bring this website into proper gear! With the on-going fight against the RIAA to liberate the industry and bring focus to independent music (as well as avenues to LEGALLY obtain main stream music), Legal Music Search is now adorned with the proper battle gear to join the fight! Many websites are in the search database -- including but not limited to DMusic!

As a site that has it's full support thrown behind boyott-riaa.com, it comes highly recommended! If you have any urls for other free legal music download services, please submit them to LMS! If you are an Independent Artist -- PLEASE make sure you get your information added to the "Boycott RIAA Certified Artists" page which is also linked on LMS!

Fair Use! Fight for it, or lose it!

http://legalmusicsearch.com

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I think posting it here is appropriate seeing as there are only actions, inactions and consequences based on a current situation. As GDZ said -- "There is no such thing as illegal downloading."

He's right. That would be like saying there is such a thing as "illegal driving". Theres ways to drive, ways not to drive. Rules, regulations and speed limits.

You can break a rule and regulation. You can go over the speed limit. You can also get a well earned ticket if you do.

It's like the jungle. The rules are specific to your environment. Don't touch fire. Gravity is a bitch so don't jump out of a plane without a parachute. Don't be rude unless you want to get told off (or punched in the face).

It's cause and effect. Action and reaction. Physics. Common sense. It's not about "legal or illegal" or "moral or immoral".

It's about the golden rule. The corporations have the gold, so they make the rules. But fuck their rules. WE THE PEOPLE need to band together and reform the rules. So far, so good. But we've still got a long struggle ahead of us. It won't be easy -- but -- we will win.

-Dave

That's a laugh: Bill Gates' company posturing high and mighty against copying something not owned! Bill ought to look in a mirror to see who one of the biggest copy-ers of all times was some decades back (before he earned his first billion).
[sneer]

Do remember that Gates has stepped down from MS. Now that poser Steve "Piggy" Ballmer is running things. Lets take a closer look at this "professional" CEO of MS ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMU0tzLwhbE

Yes folks, THIS -- is who is in charge of Microsoft. *rolls eyes*

-Dave

lol

Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers!

So what does everyone think of Legal Music Search so far? Seeing as this article is directly about downloading, I'm sure my inquiry is "on topic".

-Dave

oh and does anyone have any sites you think i could stick under the "protect yourself" drop box?

-Dave