Slashdot Mirror


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."

84 of 828 comments (clear)

  1. Lemmiwinks! by SteroidMan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Because that ferret is destined to go on a long dark journey!

    1. Re:Lemmiwinks! by crimethinker · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. The contest is now closed. Thanks for playing.

      Seriously, though, I'm not sure where the joke ends and the reality begins. They're going to have an animal mascot to teach kids about their (the BSA's) view of copyright? It works for breakfast cereal ("They're gRRRRRRReat!") so I guess it will work for getting kids to rat out their friends for mod-chipping an x-box.

      However, they seem to be forgetting something from their school years - NOBODY likes a snitch. Most of the kids who have x-boxes or similar consoles at home are keenly aware of how the price of a game compares to their weekly allowance, and their reaction to seeing a chipped console would most likely be "cool, where can I get one, too?"

      -paul

      --
      Pistol caliber is like religion: everyone has their favourite, and theirs is the only right choice.
    2. Re:Lemmiwinks! by nkh · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let's get a Photoshop expert to draw a lot of pictures featuring this thing in different situations like: the ferret modding his PS2, the ferret giving the finger or the ferret writing C code. (and I'm really serious about this)

    3. Re:Lemmiwinks! by nkh · · Score: 5, Funny

      I hate to answer my own posts but you MUST download this and this!

    4. Re:Lemmiwinks! by Lord+Kano · · Score: 5, Funny

      How about a picture of the weasel getting the shit beat out of him because snitches are bitches and deserve to get stitches.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    5. Re:Lemmiwinks! by xQx · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How long until we get some new slogans from the BSA... I've got some really effective ones lined up:

      - Pirating music causes lung cancer
      - Copying videos will harm your unborn child
      - Stealing music harms others

      Stopped everyone from smoking didn't it?

    6. Re:Lemmiwinks! by empaler · · Score: 5, Funny

      One of my friends work in a 7-11.
      One day, when a customer asked for a pack of smokes, she was asked to get the other (nearly identical) pack, that was behind the one she'd gotten initially.
      Why? It said "Smoking damages fertility" and she didn't want any more children. My friend was so taken aback by this that he didn't really say anything to her, he just sold her the pack.

  2. Abraham Lincoln said... by quizwedge · · Score: 5, Insightful

    something to the effect of The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation is the philosophy of the government in the next. This seems a good way for organizations to get laws changed in their favor.

    --
    I have no .sig
    1. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by 16K+Ram+Pack · · Score: 5, Insightful
      But did he mean about what children are taught, or the emotions of those kids?

      Is the war on drugs being won? Or is it just the case that the politicians know it's a waste of time but fear a backlash right now? Give it 30 years, the War on Drugs will be thought of as a really bad idea like prohibition.

    2. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by allism · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yeah, the DARE program worked really well as an example...

      Seems to me that teaching this in the schools gives the kids something to rebel against later.

    3. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by gl4ss · · Score: 3, Informative

      ehm, aren't the laws already in their favor?(copyright extensions & etc which really only help big organizations who own big amounts of _old_ materia that was actually fucking cheap to produce back in the day with actors working on monthly wage and so on..)

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    4. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by Lord+Kano · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Give it 30 years, the War on Drugs will be thought of as a really bad idea like prohibition.

      Except that if you say it outloud, you'll be arrested for being a terrorist.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    5. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by BigAl_nz · · Score: 5, Funny

      Drugs Are Really Excellent.

      N.B. a cop told me that one :)

      --
      --- There isn't any problem that can't be solved by a small, low yield nuclear device, is there??
    6. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by pgnas · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I will teach my childen morality, thank you.

      The last thing I want is my child's views to be formed based on someones money motivated opinion. What is next? Are my children going to be "Treated" to school bags with the drug company logos on them? I beleive that it is not far off, if it is not happening already.

      I do not encourage pirating software or infringing on copyrights, however, I do encourage schools to do what they are meant to do--Teach! This teaching involves basic things like math, english, history, science and so on, save the copyright law for college when he/she can make the choice.

      I think they should take their ridiculous capaign and keep it the hell away from my kids! Please, leave the morality issues to me. It's one thing that I constantly receive propaganda from this sanctimonious orginization, please, stay away from my children.

    7. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by Lord+Kano · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well if you use drugs you are funding terrorist organizations, that much is for sure.

      People have been getting high for much longer than there have been terrorists.

      One of the wisest things Bush ever said was "The day you stop doing drugs, is the day you join the War against Terror."

      They day we legalize marijuana is the day that all of the illicit profit disappears.

      To favor drug prohibition is to support terrorism.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    8. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by I(rispee_I(reme · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Homegrown herb funds terrorism? How?
      Stop swallowing the sound bites.
      The ban on marijuana is ridiculous when you can go to the store and buy kegsof beer, which are arguably much worse for you. It is also at least as difficult to enforce without violating civil liberties as sodomy laws, which pretty much everyone agrees are a joke.

      Before you respond, yes, driving while intoxicated should be a crime regardless of the drug, but the time is approaching when you will have no say at all regarding what an individual other than yourself or your child does with their body. Since both the parent and the grandparent made predictions, I will go out on a limb and say that in thirty years, there will be full frontal nudity (read pr0n) on prime time network television every night.

    9. Re:Abraham Lincoln said... by Bush+Pig · · Score: 5, Funny

      > One of the wisest things Bush ever said was "The day you stop doing drugs, is the day you join the War against Terror."

      Was that when Bush joined the war against terror? When he stopped hoovering coke, I mean.

      --
      What a long, strange trip it's been.
  3. Darl by romper · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's name him Darl!

    --
    Right is wrong when left is right.
  4. Ferret Face! by yroJJory · · Score: 3, Funny

    Gosh, it sure reminds me of good ol' Frank Burns from M*A*S*H! Take THAT, Ferret Face!

    --
    Jory
  5. I got the perfect name by VonGuard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fucktard, the copyright weasel.

    --
    Don't Crease the Weasel!
  6. At least... by wo1verin3 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    BSA Asks Kids to Name Copyright Weasel

    At least they choose the right animal. Has anyone heard when SCO will be letting us name their skunk mascot?

    1. Re:At least... by _Sprocket_ · · Score: 5, Funny


      At least they choose the right animal. Has anyone heard when SCO will be letting us name their skunk mascot?


      I guess their work on Lenny the Lamprey fell through?
  7. odd choice by randyest · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As the article says:

    The ferret, by the way, does seem to be an odd mascot choice for an organization devoted to strict legal adherence, given that the weasel-like mammals are outlawed in California and several other states.

    Anyway, were I in 4th grade, I'd submit "nibbler."

    You know. In honor of the old copy/backup programs often called "nibblers" frmo the C64/Apple2 days. Since they nibbled the disk bit-by-bit to make exact copies. And like ferrets.

    Get it? ;)

    --
    everything in moderation
    1. Re:odd choice by Erik+Fish · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Not to mention, keeping wildlife...an amphibious rodent...for domestic purposes...inside the city limits. That ain't legal either"

  8. Snitchy by xoboots · · Score: 4, Funny

    First of all, he looks like a rip-off of everyone else's favourite corporate cartoon character: Poochy. So "Snitchy" feels right.

  9. Who's copyright? by TommydCat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Kids, make sure to copyright your entries!

    --
    This comment does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the author.
  10. Lets hope it backfires by nurb432 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While I will teach my child what *I* believe is right and wrong, we can hope that the children of parents that are not quite as diligent see thru this garbage.

    Perhaps with a bit of luck this attempt at brainwashing will totally backfire.

    Home schooling becomes more appealing each day.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  11. WTF? by wmute · · Score: 5, Funny

    May I be one of hopefully many in saying WTF?? How is the BSA allowed to even infiltrate our PUBLIC school system, I mean what goes on at these meetings

    BSA REP: "We will give you enough money to buy 10 more computers if you let us brainwash the kids"

    Director of school: "I'm not sure thats a good idea, have you ever read 1984?"

    BSA REP: "Of course I have, I'll make it 11 computers and I won't let RIAA charge you for illegal music downloads"

    Director of school: "But i havn't downloaded any illegal music"

    BSA REP: "Thats what they all say!"

  12. Nice animal to pick! by bburrill · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey kids be a weasel and turn in your friends for downloading music!

  13. Attack the Young by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While I'm all for respecting copyrights and all that intellectual property stuff, I find it strangely difficult to accept moral lessons from the BSA.

    I suppose they'll be joining the ranks of MTV, musicians, and video games in the world of raising YOUR children.

    Parents -- please take responsibility for your children. Please?

  14. Quisling by Trespass · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Too easy.

  15. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by wo1verin3 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    >> This is bad because... ?

    You're assuming the "education" provided will not be one-sided and will include fair use.

  16. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by AgentAce · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because this has no place in the classroom, that's why.

  17. How about "Captain Copyright" by CharonX · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How about Captain Copyright?
    See how the dauntless Captain Copyright sells out its friend to the BSA for talking about copying software.
    Laught when Captain Copyright battles with the fearsom Product Pirates (and see how they get locked up for 30 years for running an illegal copy of Windows XP).
    Be fascinated how Captian Copyright bribes and lobbies the Congress to introduce capital punishment for product theft.

    --
    +++ MELON MELON MELON +++ Out of Cheese Error +++ redo from start +++
  18. Just say no... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If this program has any success like the Just Say No program did in the 1980s, then we should be seeing an entire generation of copyright violators in, oh, 20-30 years.

    Raw raw brainwashing backfires.

  19. How long until they turn in parents? by freelunch · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So how long until the kids are 'taught' to turn in their parents "to help them"?

    Gotta love my tax dollars supporting this tripe.

  20. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by The+Bungi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Fair use according to whom? The law or the Slashbot collective? People around here have a very peculiar concept of what constitutes "fair use". That's probably why the article submission was dismissive of this thing.

  21. A weasel, indeed by the+pickle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ah yes. That's just too appropriate. Weasels are the snakes of the mammal family. (Yeah, it's not proper taxonomic jargon. So sue me.) Always sneaking around behind other animals' backs, and fighting like holy hell whenever they get cornered. Oh, and weasels particularly like to eat young things.

    Heck, just the fact that they've picked a weasel is funny enough for me. Could they possibly have picked a WORSE animal mascot? Maybe the cockroach...

    p

  22. May I Make a Suggestion, Please? by superdan2k · · Score: 5, Funny

    Howabout "Orrin the Ass-Burrowing Money Weasel"? It's got a nice ring to it. You gotta admit.

    --
    blog |
  23. How fitting by ShatteredDream · · Score: 4, Funny

    A rodent that tends to smell like shit and is uncannily prone to getting rabies. Things like this are why I don't believe in coincidences anymore....

  24. I hope some smartass kid suggests by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Juares. Spelt W A R E Z.

    Rock on!

  25. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by offpath3 · · Score: 5, Funny
    what's bad is that the BSD mostly acts as a terroristic organisation

    You know it's only a small step from writing a network stack to putting bombs on busses!

  26. Write in Sterling Ball by azav · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In the article, it notes that we can write in "Sterling Ball" the guy who jettisoned all MS products after getting raided by the BSA.

    Anyone know where the url is so we can vote?

    --
    - Zav - Imagine a Beowulf cluster of insensitive clods...
  27. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by stagl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    more seriously though, what about things like financial education? i know maybe not for 4th graders, but at least in our junior and high schools. home economics taught me how to so a pillow, but not how to balance a checkbook or use a credit card responsibly (not that i have problems, the only debt i have is mortgage). so many young adults are thrown into financial problems without a clue on how to manage their money

    it's a shame we don't spend the money in public education on something like this.

    --

    R.I.P.
  28. Transcript of meeting at BSA... by One+Louder · · Score: 4, Funny
    BSA guy #1: We at the BSA want a weasel with attitude. He's edgy, he's "in your face." You've heard the expression "let's get busy"? Well, this is a weasel who gets "biz-zay!" Consistently and thoroughly.

    BSA guy #2: So he's proactive, huh?

    BSA guy #1: Oh, God, yes. We're talking about a totally outrageous paradigm.

    BSA guy #3: Excuse me, but "proactive" and "paradigm"? Aren't these just buzzwords that dumb people use to sound important? Not that I'm accusing you of anything like that. [pause] I'm fired, aren't I?

    BSA guy #4: Oh, yes.

    Apologies to The Simpsons...

  29. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by LGagnon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because they won't give a complete and fair review of copyright laws. Corporation interests will be put before the truth, and this will be nothing more than de-education. Not to mention they are teaching a very complex subject to an age group that doesn't understand legal issues well enough to understand the subject correctly.

  30. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by lothar97 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    This is bad because... ?

    The BSA's favorite method is sending out threat letters to small-mid sized businesses, and warning about the dire consequences of having pirated software. The place I work got one, and the boss freaked out- especially since 1 Office 2000 CD had been used for all 6 computers in the office. The letter basically said we had 1 month to take care of any abuses, and if they caught us after that with illegal stuff, there would be hell to pay (since we were on notice).

    I got some nice OEM copies to make us legit, but they never showed up. I heard a bunch of people throughout our area got these letters (San Diego), and I didn't really hear about anyone getting busted.

    Also, do you like the idea of your kids being trained to rat out their peers? Always be a snitch? How far does it go... Should we also have them snitch on Mommy & Daddy?

    --

  31. Anyone remember the anti-piracy rap video? by British · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Many moons ago there was a small video with some unknown rapper talking about the effects of piracy to 2 kids.

    Someone's got it on the web somewhere. Quite possibly the funniest thing you have ever seen for propaganda.

  32. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by istewart · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because this is a private business alliance attempting to use the public education system to maintain their influence in the market. Besides, how is this different from issues of "legislating morality?" Are the students given a one-sided view? Is the fact that the copyright (at least in a number of cases pertaining to movies and music) is not held by the original creator but by one of the cartels funding the BSA discussed at all? Are the students given a lesson on the original "limited monopoly" intention of copyright and patent, or is this just intended to perpetuate the current status quo? Also, how does this really advance the state of America's already poor-quality primary education institutions? There are any number of reasons to be suspicious of this.

  33. Re:Rat Bastard by RatBastard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey! Leave me out of this!

    --
    Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
  34. Brainwashing by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The problem is not that they are teaching legality, they are twisting the law to their own view.

    Such as trying to convince children that its a criminal act to download ANY music file.

    Problem is that its a CIVIL issue, ( at least for now, unless Hollings gets his way.. then it will be criminal ) and 2ndly its not illegal to download *copyrighted*material. Its illegal to download material that isn't permitted for distribution in that manner..

    Its also legally debatable that its even illegal to download restricted data.. Remember fair use, libraries, copying excerpts.. etc.

    Its also NOT the job of some industry to come and teach students. Even if I were to accept the concept of what they were trying to portray, its the SCHOOLS job to teach facts, not some company. ( and its parents job to teach morality ).

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  35. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by DugzDC · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Oh, for fuck sake. Every day this just keeps getting worse. I've had a few beers, and normally resist posting in this condition, but I've obviously had one too may tonight.
    Why are these fucktards allowed anywhere near schools? Why these particular fucktards? Where do you draw the line?
    I guess we're lobbying the kids now. This planet is going down the fucking sink. S'what you get when our governments are run by people of below-average intelligence. The people who seek power are the very fuckers who should never be allowed to taste it. Why does everyone have a short term 'I want a ferrari' mindset these days?
    Fuck. And I had a bad day too.

  36. I give it a month before a Chinese factory... by Hamster+Lover · · Score: 4, Funny

    pumps out thousands of "Copywrite Krusader" stuffed counterfeits. Look for them on a street corner near you.

    Now THAT would be hilarious.

    And on a more important note, a Ferret, what the hell? A friend of mine has two of these fuzzy things and one thing the BSA and Ferrets have in common is both want to get into your pants.

  37. Digging deeper, we find... by jasomill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A Cyber-Ethics Champion Code with items such as

    I look for the copyright symbol (©) whenever I add a new program or game to my computer.

    Why? First of all, use of the mark is now optional, at least in the U.S. Second, the mark itself doesn't explain to the child (or anyone else) whether or not a program may be copied (e.g., GPL'd software is copyrighted). The license does. Which leads us to...

    I know that the copyright owner gets to decide how many times a software program can be copied. That means I can't copy the software that is running on my home computer unless the license for that program says I can.

    So the assumption is that a child young enough to be attracted to the weasel-ferret-whatever mascot will read and understand the license agreements included with his or her software? Perhaps the BSA wants to donate to some sort of fund for early legal education?

    I guess the problem I have with all this is, there's currently a lot of controversy surrounding free software, copyright, patents, and other "intellectual property" issues, and if we're not prepared to educate our children about the issues, we shouldn't allow the "voice of the world's commercial software industry" to do it for us, any more than we allow McDonald's to educate our children about nutrition. Oh, wait...

  38. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by EvilNTUser · · Score: 4, Informative

    "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.

    --
    My Sig: SEGV
  39. OK, I'll answer the question by OneIsNotPrime · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Because we don't want or need advocacy groups pushing their positions on our kids in the public schools WE fund with our tax dollars.

    Because pushing an issue on school children, trying to form their opinions at a young age, on behalf of CORPORATIONS, smacks of manipulation and self-rightousness.

    Because the BSA is a blackmailing, self-interested money hungry group of lawyers which strongarms small businesses into "compliance", trying to bluff business owners into thinking they are guilty until proven innocent.

    Because controversial issues that are not directly related to education or universally accepted understandings of right and wrong have no place in the public education system.

    I wouldn't have the BSA forcefeeding my kids their garbage anymore than I'd invite PETA in the classroom. Either way, God willing that we can afford it, I'm not sending my kids anywhere near a public classroom if and when the day comes.

    --

    ---

    WARNING:Slashdot karma not redeemable in the afterlife.

    1. Re:OK, I'll answer the question by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Here's the nail on the head time. There should not be anything controversial at all about the idea that exclusive copyright MEANS the exclusive right to copy.

      Except that a copyright isn't a totally exclusive right to copy. There are several exceptions, and the rules on where to draw the line are fuzzy and open to interpretation. It's certainly beyond a 4th grade level topic, and subject to controversy, but will undoubtedly be presented to the 4th graders in your oversimplified black-and-white terms anyway.

  40. 154 comments and still no... by Black+Rabbit · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...mandatory Simpsons reference?

    "Weaseling out of things is important to learn! It's what separates us from the animals! 'Cept the weasel." --Homer

  41. I got one of those letters by einhverfr · · Score: 4, Funny

    I just laughed. ALL my production software is open source.

    That being said, this threat is serious to most businesses, and I have to help many customers get into compliance. All the more reason to use open source.

    --

    LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
  42. So glad I'm a beta! by promethean_spark · · Score: 3, Funny

    Alpha children wear grey They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm really awfuly glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. I know it's true because the weasel told me so!

  43. Berman The Ermine by MsGeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    Name this beast after the Congresscritter most thoroughly owned and operated by the RIAA and MPAA! I'm sure he's also owned and operated by the BSA as well, or at least sympathetic to their cause.

    The species change would not only make it a better rhyming name, but one would have to do it because ferrets are still illegal in California. (and Hawaii, and the 5 boroughs of New York City, NY)

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
  44. Don't Copy That Floppy by empaler · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Reminds me of the ~15 yr old campaign "Don't Copy That Floppy", with a rap song and dance and everything. It was way cooler than this half-arsed shite... ^_^

    16 mb "Don't Copy That Floppy"

  45. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by gilroy · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Blockquoth the poster:

    I'm now waiting for your semantic argument that argues that copyright infringement is not the same as stealing, and therefore allows you to rationalize that ripping people off is OK.

    Intellectual property is not the same as physical property (for example, it [theoretically] expires) but let's not descend into the usual word games. Can you recognize, however, that -- though this does not justify infringement -- the copyright system is in fact malfunctioning, especially due to the unreasonably long time that passes before a work enters the public domain? And can we agree that the corporate stakeholders have persuaded the government to abandon the historic "copyright bargain" interpretation? And that late additions such as the Digital Millenium Copyright Act have tilted the playing field away from balanced -- in part by creating "access control rights" that have no grounding in the Constitution and, menacingly, no expiration date?

    You don't have to be a eyepatch-wearing download junkie to see that things have gone awry.
  46. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by Izago909 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Piracy is not theft, it is copyright infringement. Piracy is a civil crime, theft if criminal. Anyone who says piracy is theft is unwittingly making themselves a tool of the media giants by mindlessly repeating their corporate spin. I'm not justifying piracy, but people who are tools of the media giants need to be shown exactly how they are tools in order for them to take the first step towards thinking for themselves. Please remember you are spouting corporate cliché for people who are buying politicians left and right so that they can strip personal rights and give more to corporations.

  47. Re:Kids are too good at logic for this. by sqrt(2) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Call me a hopeless optimist... But, unless both the parents and those schools are doing absolutely nothing outside of brain washing those kids...

    Remember the "Red Menace" of the 50's-80's? We've all seen the films they used to show kids in schools, and the information from parents, wasn't far from brainwashing the kids to hate anyone who didn't live under a Democratic Government.

    Need a more current example? Just replace communist with "Terrorist"

    --
    If you build it, nerds will come. Soylentnews.org
  48. My Problem Here by Bruha · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I dont mind the power company coming in with Larry the Lightning Bolt teaching kids to leave power lines and other nasty power stuff alone. But for a business such as this which tends to threaten businesses without a shred of proof then sue them if they refuse guilty or not should not be allowed into our schools to pitch their views on copyright.

    It's the responsibility of eduacators to bring this topic up in the classroom. Explain what a copyright is and explain some of the history of it. It's up to the kids to decide if it's the right thing not some corporate sponsored entity telling our kids that copyrights are fine. All it does is breed a group of kids that will not challenge the system and sit around all day thinking certain laws are okay when in fact they may not be so perfect.

  49. Remember Rosa Parks? by Clueless+Moron · · Score: 5, Insightful
    On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, despite the law.

    This set in wheels in motion to have those segragation laws declared unconstitutional in the USA.

    It is your moral duty to refuse to obey laws that you know are simply wrong and immoral. It's called "civil disobedience" and has has a pretty decent track history of causing positive change without too much bloodshed.

    PS: Note that I'm not specifically saying that this mp3 downloading ruckus falls in that category. I'm just saying that your affirmation that all laws need to be obeyed is just not right.

  50. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by Izago909 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Copyright law is a subject the brightest lawyers spend years, even decades, learning without even knowing it all. Copyright should be presented in school, except not from biased sources and not to an age group that accepts the words of adults on blind faith. They should also be told how large corporations spent billions buying politicians to twist copyright 180 degrees from what the founders envisioned.

  51. God Bless America *insert sarcasm here* by jinxidoru · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You've gotta love living in a country where teaching 4th graders morality will put you in front of a judge, but where it's apparently OK to indocrinate children with the corrupt money-mongering copyrighting system. Breach of copyright, now there's a sin we need to teach our children to avoid. But don't you dare teach them about chastity or good moral living.

    Sorry, I just get upset with the priorities of this country sometimes.

  52. Animal Associations... by LostCluster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    An interesting sidebar to this whole story is that the way that both sides want to call the similar looking animal:

    The RIAA wants to say "ferret" because that word is also defined as a verb that means to search for something in a group of others.

    The anti-RIAA forces wants to say "weasel" because that word when used as an adjective means a person that is dishonest and/or greedy.

    That's a sign of a bad PR person somewhere at the RIAA. No matter how cute the positive association is, you shouldn't put out a PR campaign with a mascot that easy to mock.

  53. Oh please by foreverdisillusioned · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Do you own a Tivo or a VCR? Ever fastforward through commercials? Thief! You're depriving those poor advertisers of their hard-earned dollars!

    Just because something is illegal (or unlawful, as is the case in CIVIL matters like these) does not make it wrong, and while there is definitely good reason to ensure that musicians continue to receive compensation, this issue is NOT as cut and dry as the Morality Police would have us belief. Taken to the extreme, beliefs like yours would outlaw all libraries because they take away money from authors and publishers.

  54. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by the_mad_poster · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's not a matter of open source, it's a matter of a corporation using the public education system to indoctrinate people. I have similar beefs with Subway, Coca Cola, etc. - all of whom have encroached on my old High School in the name of hooking kids on their brand early. There's a particular marketing term for the practice of impressing a brand on people before they're old enough to make decisions (so they later decide on that brand), but I don't recall it at the moment.

    The BSA has a specific agenda that they most certainly will benefit from financially if they can impress it on kids early on and make it stick. If they were only teaching the facts about copyright laws or providing those materials that do so, that's fine. However, this reaks of marketing and promotion, not education. That doesn't belong in a public school. If they think that copyright laws need to receive more focus, they can go to school board meetings like everyone else.

    As far as emacs - emacs is the one true editor!!! .... oops... sorry, wrong discussion ;)

    I don't think learning about the GNU - if it was relevant to the class - would be bad, but RMS is not the best person to be teaching it. The nice thing is, since it's OSS, you could always take that out. I'm not a particularly big fan of RMS, and I only use the GPL when I have no intention of using the code I write commercially...

    --
    Alito: A vote for Alito is a punch in the eye to put that bitch back in her place!
  55. Weasel must DIE! by jatic · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the purpose of a school mascott, aimed at kids, to teach them important values? Loyalty, Devotion, Friendship, Thinking for themselves. Nah, kids these days will trade in all of those for some monopolist propoganda, uh I mean "comic", of some weasel telling them to rat out their friends for inovating so they can get next weeks exciting issue on how infringing copyrights can send you to hell. At least they chose an appropriate mascott. Looks like its time to get out the D-Con. --Copyrighted monopolys stiffle inovation. th!nk differently

  56. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by hazem · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So I guess we shouldn't teach our kids that stealing is wrong. Right? Wrong.

    No, we SHOULD teach our children in schools that stealing is wrong. But it should be a part of the approved curriculum and school guidelines. It should NOT be through some political group coming in and spewing their own agenda. If you let the BSA in, who else might you have to let in?

    School districts and state boards of eduction pay highly trained people to develop curriculum by which the children are taught. Let them do their jobs. If you don't think copyright is being covered, take it up with your school board.

    If you don't trust the board and curriculum developers, then you have bigger problems. But letting private political organizations into schools to push their agenda is not the solution.

  57. Propaganda Everywhere! by Bloodmoon1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Attached to the article is a lovely little game called Deep Freeze, and Christ almighty is it hard.

    The point of the game is that you're supposed to use Rat Bastard (As I'm now referring to the Weasel) to kick a ball to destroy Pirates (Represented by a Skull and Crossbones) and Software (Represented by a CD. Note that I said software, not illegal software, just plain software. Interesting...) all while collecting Licenses to protect your city.

    Ah, yes, you're asking the same question I was, "Protect it from what?" Quickly, you will learn the answer, to protect your fair city from being "frozen" by software piracy. The game is ridiculouslyhard and as far as I played it, is impossible to win. I can only assume that this is by design to show kids how hard it is to "defend" against the deluge of pirated software.

    Man, does anyone else feel like they're in some kind of really weird, fucked up movie with a bad plot everytime they read this absolutly insane software piracy shit? Seriously, it seems like I'm inside of some horrible plot hole whenever I read the BSA is working in conjunction with Weekly Reader (Which I remember from back when I was in school) in order to indoctrinate 4th graders to believe software piracy is some sort of scourge of the Universe. Back when I read Weekly Reader, it had stuff about all kinds of exotic animals, something about space, or just anything else kids thought was really cool. Now it teaches them about Copyright laws?

    What the fuck? This country really needs to get its shit back together. I love America, but I fear for our future when corporations can have the power to set ciriculum, especially for such young, impressionable kids like this.

    --

    Request: ECM unit, 1000 km fullerene cable, 1 tactical nuclear weapon. Reason: Birthday party for foreign dignitary.
  58. Re: sig by Lehk228 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mod me down. I think you deserve to be sued if you rip off music.

    I agree entirely, let's start with suing P. Diddy for ripping off everyone else's music.

    --
    Snowden and Manning are heroes.
  59. Send letters to weeklyreader... by stienman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Don't cut n paste, please, but here's a copy of my email to pr@weeklyreader.com:

    Subject: BAS Alliance?
    I recently read how Weekly Reader was going to help educate children and teens about copyright law from CNET, at http://news.com.com/Ferreting+out+copyright+scoffl aws/2100-1012_3-5303966.html .

    I remember enjoying Weekly Reader when I was young, going over your website today has made me realize how much has changed over the years.

    While I understand this is primarily a business decision, I want to urge you to reconsider distributing their supplement.

    As a IT professional I am very familiar with the tactics the BSA and similar 'non-profit' organizations use to intimidate and deceive. While the company I work for is in compliance with current copyright laws, we must spend an inordinate amount of time and resources making certian that we can also prove we are in compliance.

    I heartily encourage you to educate your readers on copyright laws, where they came from, what purpose they are meant to serve, and how they have changed and adapted over the decades to meet new challenges. I would strongly urge you against allowing the BSA to perform this education as I can assure you they are interested in how copyright protects copyright owners, and not how copyright also protects individuals and users of copyrighted works.

    Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter!

    -Adam

  60. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by timeOday · · Score: 4, Insightful
    So I guess we shouldn't teach our kids that stealing is wrong. Right? Wrong.
    Speaking of which, do you think the RIAA's curriculum will give equal time to price fixing?
  61. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by Izago909 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think most people are upset because it is a biased corporate entity teaching impressionable children who are too young to form their own opinions. Copyright does have a place in education, but not at that age and not from that source. Would you allow your child to be taught health by Phillip Morris, business ethics by Microsoft, or foods by McDonalds?

  62. Posts like this. by eniu!uine · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I hate to answer my own posts but you MUST download this and this!"

    I think we all know what kind of effect that posts like this have on people's bandwidth issues. If you have any compassion or empathy for your fellow man, and the target of your post is the MPAA, RIAA, SCO, or the BSA PLEASE try to get these things to the front page. When the BSA servers start a fire that burns down their empire... and a daycare next door, but don't sweat the small stuff... you will know you made a difference. Don't you owe it to yourself?

  63. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by Grym · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is important. Because copyright protection is one of the luxuries of living in America. We treat intellectual property in many of the same ways we treat physical property, and as a result, we have had some really great authors, musicians, directors, software companies, inventors, etc. Knock the BSA/MPAA/RIAA for being dicks about it if you want, but all they're doing is what you're supposed to do when somebody infringes on your copyright: find them, and demand restitution.

    Care to provide any proof that authors/inventors/musicians are the DIRECT result of increased copyright protections? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't copyrights a rather new idea with respect to MUSIC, BOOKS, and INVENTIONS?

    I disagree with your statement. In fact, I would change it to the following:

    We treat intellectual property in many of the same ways we treat physical property, and as a result, we have unclear laws that fail to recognize that intangible really means just that, a confused populace who often (understandably) can't define what a copyright, trademark, or patent are or even mean, and an organized bourgeois who feel the need to "reeducate" our children on the righteous path of blind consumerism.

    Does that mean a curriculum designed by the BSA is a great idea? Well, it's no worse than the oral hygiene curriculum designed by Crest I had in elementary school, a program to which I credit my fantastic smile. 'Course, I use Toms of Maine nowadays...

    You're missing the point. NOBODY is in dispute on the issue of ORAL HYGIENE. Comparing it with an issue so complex and debatable as the oxymoron of "intellectual property" is ridiculous.

    -Grym

  64. Seconded. And a war story. by leonbrooks · · Score: 4, Funny

    I also helped a customer past a BSAA audit threat (got the notice mid-afternoon, got inspected mid the following morning) by counting their holo stickers and hastily Linuxifying some of their generic workstations to make up the difference, and slapping the OpenOffice.org suite (and Mozilla for good measure) on all of the machines.

    Highlights of the visit were the BSAA dudes (local agents, I think, rather than BSAA proper) trying hard not to ask why nobody was using MS-Office (they eventually broke down and asked, I told them it was because it helped to avoid licence hassles like this one - IRL everyone was ostentatiously using OOo and Mozilla not MSO and MSIE because they'd been told to for that day :-) and the allegedly technical dude shoving a diagnostic CD into the reception machine, which was at the time running Mandrake Linux (I think 9.2) and XPDE and - after a few minutes - asking where "My Computer" was so he could run the nice diagnostics.

    IIRC, we'd renamed the XPDE equivalent "Not Bill's Computer". Said dude's look of disbelief upon being appraised of the truth was worth framing; it took the Mandrake Control Centre to half-convince him. I don't think he was ever quite sure.

    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
  65. Re:OK, I'll ask the question by Zareste · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm now waiting for your semantic argument that argues that copyright infringement is not the same as stealing

    I figured you would. If I equated data transfer with some random bad word like, say, murder or lying, I'd also anticipate a correction. So glad you saw it coming in spite of the fact that you never corrected yourself.

    I guess there's a funny little group out and about that actually believes what these people say. How can you spot them? Simple: They can only back up their claims using utterly undefined and arbitrary words ('sending data is wrong! Obeying me is right! Dualism is right! Disobeying corporations is wrong!'), equating propaganda with morality ('you haven't paid for that tile so you have no right to stand on it!'), and of course, trying with every last breath to turn listening to music into 'ripping off' the artist who, even if the outlandishly abstract concept of artists 'losing' money to data transfer were true, isn't getting the 8 cents he would have gotten had you bent over and bought the CD.

    The claims pretty much debunk themselves, not only with the total lack of reason but the obvious fact that nobody ever manages to justify them without turning the dictionary inside-out. You'd think these people would do a better job of convincing you now that the anti-data-exchange movement has been around for some time, but the throw-offs cop-outs are actually getting worse.

    A ferret? Wow I'm convinced. I'm so inspired I think I'll sell my soul to the recording industry and sue some random kid right now!

    A small fine for stealing a CD, a large lawsuit for downloading one. Let's arrest those kids outside of the bank and ignore the guy robbing it.

    --
    I am NOT a number! I am a - oh wait, I'm number 761710. Look! 761710!
  66. Terrific... by SeinJunkie · · Score: 3, Funny

    now, my Firefox downloads list shows "young_girl.mpg" *delete*