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Hong Kong Boy Scouts to Protect IP

Posted by Zonk on from the go-forth-brave-soldier dept.

phresno writes "Declan McCullagh at C|net's News.com has a short article on the development that the Hong Kong Boy Scouts Association has teamed up with the MPA to create an intellectual property merit badge. Mike Ellis of the MPA hopes this program will 'provide thousands of young people -- future leaders -- with a better understanding of the value of intellectual property.' Those with tinfoil hats will surely be thinking of the youth in Orwell's 1984."

26 of 617 comments (clear)

  1. Hong Kong Piracy by Excen · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is it just me, or is Hong Kong the perfect place for the MPAA to start brainwashing the youngest members of our society?

    --
    "No beer until you finish your tequila!" -Leela's Dad
    1. Re:Hong Kong Piracy by over_exposed · · Score: 5, Funny

      Was there a spelling merit badge?

      --
      "The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his." - Patton
  2. Suggest Your Own Merit Badges Here!!! by rewinn · · Score: 5, Funny

    How about a GPL Merit Badge?

    --
    --- Attorneys Assisting Citizen-Soldiers & Families -
    1. Re:Suggest Your Own Merit Badges Here!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      How about a fellatio merit badge? I think that would really teach those young boys a useful lesson about life.

      -Michael Ja^H^H^H^H^H^HJohn Doe

    2. Re:Suggest Your Own Merit Badges Here!!! by PaxTech · · Score: 4, Funny

      How about a GPL Merit Badge?

      You have to make the badge yourself, but you do get the use of patterns and yarn donated by the community.

      Of course, then there will inevitably be articles written criticizing you for putting people out of work in the seamstress industry..

      --
      All movements for social change begin as missions, evolve into businesses, and end up as rackets.
  3. What? by Omega1045 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Funny, my calendar shows May 3rd, not April 1st... this is just weird and scary.

    --

    Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

  4. BSA by ReverendLoki · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know, it used to annoy me that these two shared the same initials. Turns out it was just being a bit prophetic...

    --
    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
  5. l33t skillz merit badge by MooseByte · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Hong Kong Boy Scouts Association has teamed up with the MPA to create an intellectual property merit badge."

    I think the "l33t skillz" merit badge is going to trump that one any day of the week...

    1. Re:l33t skillz merit badge by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 4, Funny

      To earn the l33t skilz merit badge one must obtain the IP merit badge off another Socut's uniform without the other Scout's knowledge.

      --
      If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  6. Re:This is sick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What next they have a McDonalds Merit Badge given to the kids who can eat a quarter pounder a day all week for supporting a good old american company?

    I hope so. I could sure use the additional "quadruple-bypass-survivor" merit badge.

  7. Re:The Badge by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
    > > Those with tinfoil hats will surely be thinking of the youth in Orwell's 1984."
    >
    >Maybe if they keep the property then they will begin to think that the government can't interfere with their own intellectual property. This would be a huge step forward in China.

    slashdot 54550 reporting: lastpost 877602 doubleplusungood refs unevent "great leap forward". Rewrite fullwise upmod anteposting.

    If shinyvictoryhelmet wearing, plusoldposter unknow crimethink! PWN3D :)

    --
    Long live the Greater Eastasian Co-Prosperity Sphere Junior Anti-Piracy League!

  8. Hmmm... by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I know that Scouts learn by doing things, such as tying knots, building camp fires and so on.

    Does this mean they'll learn about IP by using BitTorrent, Exeem and so on? If so, about 70% of Hong Kong deserves that badge.

    1. Re:Hmmm... by SmokeHalo · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, the MPA believes that the easiest way to learn about IP is to compose cease & desist letters.

      --
      I'm not good in groups. It's difficult to work in a group when you're omnipotent. - Q
  9. What are the requirements? by pr0t0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Apparently, you have to be able construct an FBI warning using nothing but your scarf, a pocketknife, and some damned-fine whittling.

    Please post yours below:

    --
    I'm sorry, but your opinion seems to be wrong.
    1. Re:What are the requirements? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      you must blind your self by puting a pocket knif in
      each of your eyes..

  10. Those with tinfoil hats... by grumpygrodyguy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Those with tinfoil hats will surely be thinking of the youth in Orwell's 1984.

    Is it OK for those of us without tinfoil hats to think the same thing?

    --
    The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
  11. Good Training... by ChaosCube · · Score: 2, Funny

    Personally, I can't think of anything better than training young people to rat out their friends and families, all the while standing up for the rights of IP owners like Disney. We don't want those poor Hollywood bums to go broke do we?

    Definitely Orwellian.

    --
    BDR Gear
    Outdoor gear, MREs, and more!
  12. Significantly Off Topic... by Humorously_Inept · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does the Hong Kong Boys Scouts Association have a drifting and automobile customization patch?

    --

    ~Someday, I hope to be an aspiring author.
  13. Brazil by JustinPrine · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Don't suspect a friend, report them."

  14. Re:This is sick by sconeu · · Score: 4, Funny

    download a program or file from the network

    So, to get the Computers Merit Badge, you have to give up all hope of getting the IP Merit Badge?

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  15. So, what are you working on ? by hey! · · Score: 2, Funny

    Scout A: I'm working on the whitewater kayaking badge.

    Scount B: I'm working on the wilderness survival badge.

    Scout C: I'm working on the Intellectual Property badge.

    Scouts A & B: Whoa! Cool!

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  16. Re:This is sick by ggvaidya · · Score: 3, Funny

    "quadruple-bypass-survivor" merit badge.

    Pish, the really cool one is the "performed-quadruple-bypass-while-in-the-middle-of -a-jungle-with-a-pocket-knife-two-centimetres-of-r ubber-tubing-and-a-duct-tape" badge!

    (But what do I know, I'm still working on my "stupid-bloody-program-compiles-and-maybe-just-may be-WORKS-dag-nab-it" badge :| ...)

  17. The thing that has me worried.. by Striikerr · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm just worried about this quote..
    " Those with tinfoil hats will surely be thinking of the youth in Orwell's 1984."

    I mean how did they know that I was thinking about the youth in Orwell's 1984 when I had my best tinfoil hat on?!? Obviously they have found a way to bypass the tried and true method to block mind control/reading.. Perhaps it's time to look towards different foil types?

  18. Baden Powell would spin in his grave by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 4, Funny
    The Boy Scouts were formed to make boys of upright character to serve the military and the Empire well.

    The new Political Correctness, Explore Your Feminine Side, Gay Is OK, and now IP merit badges would surely make him choke on his undercooked damper-bread.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  19. Re:I have an idea for several by ed__ · · Score: 2, Funny

    how about

    Government Oppression Merit Badge (sponser: US/China/somecountryyoudon'tlike):
    Do all of the following:
    1. Become a party member
    2. Join a mob action intended to silence a group of citizens
    3. Burn books which have been found to be 'subversive'
    4. Find 6 subversive people in your family or community.
    5. Have them sent to work camps.

    other badges:
    Fascism Badge
    Torture Badge (US Army MP's/former South American regimes/school of the americas).
    WMD Search Merit Badge
    Using Fear as a Tool to dominate the citzenry Merit Badge(that one's a little long...think of better name: Better Living through Fear Merit Badge).
    Internet Censorship Badge (China again!)
    Regime Change Badge

    Foreign Intelligence Merit Badge (CIA/Pentagon)
    do two of the following:
    1. make up shit
    2. fact check maybe
    3. invade someone's 3rd world ass

    hopefully everyone has been offended. if not please take the next 5 minutes to offend yourself.

  20. Licking 30,000 stamps will keep you moral. by purduephotog · · Score: 2, Funny

    You try licking 30,000 stamps. 3 calories apiece, that'll keep you up all night and you're gonna have to be quite an exercise bug to get that weight off.

    And with those impressive tongue muscles, you might as well stay morally straight because the women are gonna LOVE you....

    Then again, maybe stamp collecting should be a girl scout badge...