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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."

4 of 507 comments (clear)

  1. Fair use? by DaveV1.0 · · Score: 0, Troll

    There is no fair use involved in making unauthorized copies of a work. I don't care what you call it. If you start with one copy of a copyrighted work and end up with n copies of a work, where n is greater than 1, in the hands of m people, where m is greater than 1, without the permission of the copyright holder, then unauthorized copies have been made. There is no fair use defense, because there is no fair use for that situation.

    --
    There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
  2. Re:Public Schools Taking a dump ... by jmerlin · · Score: 0, Troll

    Quite "obvious." I mean aside from the continual push of "standardized" tests which amount to trying to set a standard on how intelligent a child SHOULD be, making no means to mention that oh my FUCKING god we're not all the EXACT SAME -- because that would be politically incorrect?

    Oh and the fact that every subject is being dumbed down more and more with ADHD friendly books that contain 50% of each page with lots of pictures, unnecessary commentary, web references, song references, etc etc with the content becoming less and less important.

    And nay, I should not even need to mention the constant never-ending drive of large corporations trying to indoctrinate children into thinking THEIR way or being hooked on their products with the assistance of local and state govt.!!!!

    No, obviously this person has no kids in school. I was in "school" (I'm assuming you don't mean college because heaven forbid it's not really a school, right!?) 4 years ago. It was that way then. My brother was in "school" 7 years ago.. it was that way then. My youngest sister is STILL in "school" and it is STILL THAT WAY NOW, only becoming increasingly worse and worse.

    What is clear here, however, is that you lack any insight whatsoever into the public education system. It's full of corruption and ridiculous horrible "standardized" curriculum to the brim along with lobbied indoctrination. In short, I will not be totally shocked if within the next few decades the walls in every public school in the USA are covered with corporate advertisements nor if big brother, obama's huge government machine, doesn't eventually, hand-in-hand with his corporate bedbuddies have every say about what is taught, down to the very specifics, in such public schools -- even though the parents themselves pay for their children's education. It's already clear that these schools only buy state mandated, big name publisher books that come in edition X (where X >= 7) which costs $200/ea while a book from 30 years ago, with MORE content, and a better presentation (with real insight!) may cost $20/ea. Why do you think this is fact? Because these books teach things like what students *NEED* to "pass" "standardized tests" -- because a math book, for instance, with only figures where figures make sense and with small borders and lots of words and symbols and numbers.. oh no.. that CANNOT POSSIBLY prepare our students for anything. That's just WRONG! They must be taught to take a word problem, convert it to an english problem, find the nouns and verbs, write them down, draw a picture, then apply 10 formulas they've been forced to memorize rather than conclude via some basic common sense a single linear equation and solve using elementary algebra!

    You, my friend, are one hell of an ignorant person. Wake up and smell the bullshit.

  3. Re:How about rewards? by westlake · · Score: 0, Troll

    Surely the riaa can take a lesson from the war on drugs and get the children to turn in their parents and friends for dmca violations!

    When a kid reports a drug violation in his family it is most likely because he sees someone in danger.

    Metro kids can be 1st to report threats via text

    It is an extension of the national Speak Up campaign begun in other cities in 2002. It will also be initiated in New York City this fall.

    Texters and callers will be able to notify trained counselors about guns in school and other threats of violence, "without being tagged as a snitch," said Julie Young-Burns, Safe and Drug-Free Schools coordinator for the Minneapolis Public Schools.

    Students also may use the tip line to report threats of suicide, domestic violence and substance abuse.

    This is the real world of drug abuse:

    Inside the Levi King Courtroom: Day 9, Police make arrest in shooting that narrowly missed two small children.

    I don't have sympathy to spare for the geek who expects his kid to be a silent accomplice.

    You want your free movie fix?

    The warez game that retails for $60?

    Fine. But don't put the heat on your kids. Don't expect them to take the fall for you.

    If anyone rats you out, it's your tough luck, Charlie.

  4. Re:Okay, You Have the Floor by commodore64_love · · Score: 0, Troll

    >>>While what the RIAA curriculum is teaching might be counter to your moral beliefs (i.e. you may believe that all information should be free and copyright laws are an abomination), unless it is factually inaccurate it doesn't matter.
    >>>

    So you have no objection to RIAA or Coca-cola or the Communists or any other group coming into a school and brainwashing your children to ignore what daddy/mommy taught them (and maybe even turn them in, if they spot mommy/daddy with illegally-copied CDs or other warez).

    Got it.

    It's interesting that people are so casual about giving-up freedom and tying chains around their ankles. Maybe people feel more secure living as Serfs than as liberated individuals.

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall