BSA Asks Kids to Name Copyright Weasel

theodp writes "According to CNET News, this fall, 4th-graders will not only be treated to comic books and lesson plans from the Business Software Alliance and Weekly Reader, but also invited to name the BSA's mascot, a copyright-crusading ferret who teaches tech-savvy kids about the importance of protecting and respecting copyrighted works such as software, music, games and movies. More details in the BSA press release."

Comments

Re:OK, I'll ask the question

[EvilNTUser]

"Fair use according to whom? The law or the Slashbot collective? People around here have a very peculiar concept of what constitutes \"fair use\"."

Exactly. Neither of these groups have the right people to teach children about copyright. The lobbyists are likely to teach them that the GPL is immoral, and the typical user here would make them memorize the collected works of Richard Stallman in English class.

Personally I believe that items of zero marginal cost must be distributed for free to guarantee economic efficiency (incentives to produce can and should be created in other ways). Society should, however, tell children about all sides of issues, but that's not what we're going to get, is it? So schools and corporations should shut up and go back to teaching children how to think, not what to think.