Slashdot Mirror
RIAA's Elementary School Copyright Curriculum
selven writes "In a blatant campaign devoid of any subtlety, the RIAA is fighting for the hearts and minds of our children with its Music Rules, a collection of education materials on how to respect copyright. The curriculum includes vocabulary such as 'counterfeit recordings, DMCA notice, "Grokster" ruling, legal downloading, online piracy, peer-to-peer file sharing, pirate recordings, songlifting, and US copyright law.' There is no mention whatsoever of fair use. Compounding the bias, it includes insights such as that taking music without paying for it is 'songlifting,' and that making copies for personal use and then playing them while your friends come over is illegal. On the bright side, it includes math showing that the total damages from copyright infringement by children in the US amount to a measly $7.8 million."
... the internet will teach them what they really need: how to find warez.
As long as the President didn't come up with it!
-- Many men would appreciate a woman's mind more if they could fondle it
What's next:
Kids, turn your parents in for infringement and get this new song!
Of sex ed or copyright ed?
When you think about it, isn't it basically the same thing. Copyright Education-- Kids Dont Copy Music Its Bad. Sex Ed--- Kids Dont Copy ...yourselves Its Bad
Comment removed based on user account deletion
What's wrong with masturbation, anyway?
Apparently it disrupts the church service... Who'd have known?
7.8 million by their estimates, eh? That would be what, like 100 songs?
Ok, kids. Settle down. Today in RIAA Math, we're going to learn how to calculate damages from online piracy. Let's say Billy here has shared a song online. Now, we don't know exactly how many people downloaded it so we'll just take a random guess: Fifty million. Now the intellectual property value of that song is $100,000 so...
Yes, Susie? No, just because the song sells on iTunes for $0.99 doesn't mean it's "intellectual property value" is $0.99. Remember, we're talking about "intellectual property value", not "commercial market value."
Anyway, the intellectual property value of that song is $100,000 so Billy now owes the RIAA Fifty million times $100,000, or... Anyone? Right, Thomas. $5 trillion.
Now, best estimates by the RIAA Association of Piracy Estimations are that there are twenty million people like Billy. Since each Billy damages the RIAA by $5 trillion, how much does all online piracy damage the RIAA? Very good, Melissa. $100 quintillion.
Everyone get's an A.... What, Susie? No, those figures aren't worthless. No, I didn't just pluck numbers from out of thin air. World GDP is $60 trillion? Susie, you've obviously been reading some non-RIAA approved materials. See me after class. Everyone else is dismissed.
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Shoplifting = stealing from a shop Songlifting = copying a song without paying for that copy Weightlifting = stealing weights from a gym Facelifting = stealing someone's look/style Lambdalifting = stealing variables from a function etc.
I will be making a b-line to the superintendent's office.
I hope you'll be going in a straight line there, as it will be quicker. 'B-line' is actually 'bee-line', meaning the way a bee meanders all over the place on its way from one point to another.
So given the above information, would you please outline how you would explain this to children?
Step 1: Teach them critical thinking, instead of doctrine.
Step 2: There is no step 2.
Children should learn to think. With regard to controversial topics like copyright law or health care legislation, they should be encouraged to seek broad resources and to judge for themselves. They should never, under any circumstances, be indoctrinated into any belief. Not even beliefs about fair use, of which I am a rabid supporter.
You forgot Step 3. PROFIT!!!!