Laying down the copyright law -- to children (MPAA Propaganda, also corrupting Junior Achievement)

The Boston Globe ^ | April 25, 2004 | Kathleen Sharp

[eno_]

The $90 billion entertainment industry is teaching middle-school children a course in copyright law that some education specialists say is one-sided and promotes commercialism in the classroom.

In the past year, the Motion Picture Association of America has spent approximately $200,000 to launch its program called ''What's The Diff?" to combat digital piracy. Despite the criticism, the trade group plans to continue the program next school year.

The 45-minute class is taught by volunteers from the nonprofit business group Junior Achievement, and reaches about 900,000 children in primarily disadvantaged schools from Boston to Los Angeles. The volunteers, some of whom work in the entertainment industry, talk with students about the liabilities of downloading music and films from the

[eno_]

Here are some contacts at JA. Let them know just how PLEASED you are they have become Jack Valenti's bag boys.

Dr. Darrell Luzzo Senior Vice President -- Education dluzzo@ja.org His staff creates the course materials. Let him know how he has compromised all of their work.

Buzzy Thibodeaux Senior Vice President -- Public Affairs - bThibodeaux@ja.org Let him know how he can screw up so many years of an impecable reputation.

Marty Lee Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer - mlee@ja.org - He will be very influenced if you let him know how JA has been tarnished.

[solitas]

I saw that the article was excerpted from the boston globe.
Thought it would be a load of crap; but I read it anyway.
I wasn't wrong.

[kennedy]

[WVNan]

Since we're on the subject of middle school age children, somebody give me a quick explanation for why character counts in school and the community. It's an assigment.

[Houmatt]

This is nothing but propoganda in the classroom; another reason to homeschool.

I neither condone nor support people who do things like bring recording devices into a theater for the sole purpose of taping a film from the screen. People who do that should go to jail and if theater owners would take the initiative and allow nothing but concessions beyond the lobby it would nip that practice in the bud.

[Sareln]

it counts, but it doesn't pay.

[eno_]

People who do that should go to jail...

Jail? Really? Even if making a very inferior recording off a screen could be considered a theft, don't you think jail is a bit stiff? If some kid busted up your mailbox would you send them to jail?

Or perhaps LEAs and criminal courts should not be burdened by what is at most a very small tortious act - not a crime.

I'm in the IP business, and when someone violates my IPRs I threaten to sue if they don't stop. The problem here is that an industry cartel is hijacking law enforcement for their own purposes. Either we all get the same recourse as the MPAA and RIAA, or they don't. That's what "equal protection" means.