Re: pho: Re: Copyright Crusaders Hit Schools

[dang sorry wrong email address....!]

hmm, not unlike the structure of the building that's become known in
London as the 'Erotic Gherkin'.....!

mC~

Dr. John Raymond Baker wrote:

>Seth:
>
>I think a better choice for their mascot, and more descriptive, would have
>been the use of the
>Titan arum plant.
>http://www.news.uconn.edu/2004/jun2004/rel04065.htm
>
>john
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Seth Johnson" <[email protected]>
>To: <[email protected]>;
><[email protected]>;
><[email protected]>; <[email protected]>;
><[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
>Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2004 3:45 PM
>Subject: pho: Copyright Crusaders Hit Schools
>
>
>  
>
>>(Did the BSA really pick a weasel for a mascot?  -- Seth)
>>
>>
>>http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,64543,00.html
>>
>>Copyright Crusaders Hit Schools
>>By Katie Dean
>>02:00 AM Aug. 13, 2004 PT
>>
>>For the third year in a row, software companies are supplying schools with
>>materials that promote their antipiracy position on copyright law. But for
>>the first time this year, the library association is presenting its own
>>material, hoping to give kids a more balanced view of copyright law.
>>
>>The American Library Association will distribute its materials through
>>high-school librarians this winter or spring. In September, the ALA will
>>hold focus groups with teenagers to better understand how they use the
>>Internet, what they think about the technology and what language they use.
>>That information will contribute to ALA-created comic books that address
>>various copyright issues relevant to students.
>>
>>The ALA sees a need for this because materials offered by groups like the
>>Business Software Alliance and the Motion Picture Association of America
>>    
>>
>are
>  
>
>>designed to influence kids with one-sided information, said Rick
>>    
>>
>Weingarten,
>  
>
>>director of information technology policy for the ALA. Topics like "fair
>>use" -- the right to use copyright material without the owner's
>>    
>>
>permission,
>  
>
>>a key concept in American law that intellectual-property experts say leads
>>to innovation -- are not adequately addressed.
>>
>>"There is certainly concern about the fact that when the content industry
>>talks about copyright and young people in the same sentence, they are
>>    
>>
>either
>  
>
>>calling them all crooks or they are making claims for copyright that far
>>exceed what copyright is all about," Weingarten said. "Any education
>>    
>>
>program
>  
>
>>that comes from that source is inherently going to be biased."
>>
>>A copyright-crusading cartoon ferret is the latest brainchild from the
>>    
>>
>BSA.
>  
>
>>The software trade group will sponsor a contest in September to name the
>>weasel mascot, which will be used in marketing campaigns to teach kids to
>>    
>>
>be
>  
>
>>good cybercitizens. The group, which represents the most powerful software
>>companies in the world, will also mail an antipiracy comic book and
>>teacher's guide to subscribers of the Weekly Reader, a publication for
>>grade-schoolers, in January. The literature is targeted at fourth-graders.
>>
>>"We're trying to educate children at a very young age about the importance
>>of protecting copyrighted works," said Diane Smiroldo, vice president of
>>public affairs for the BSA. "It's important to start talking to them at a
>>very young age about creative works online and what you can and can't
>>    
>>
>share
>  
>
>>with your friends."
>>
>>Smiroldo compared the BSA's program to an antismoking or antilittering
>>campaign. The curriculum doesn't talk about fair use but focuses on what
>>    
>>
>are
>  
>
>>"right and wrong" behaviors online.
>>
>>She said a trade group like the BSA educating kids about copyright works
>>    
>>
>is
>  
>
>>not biased, and said it is important that kids receive such messages from
>>    
>>
>a
>  
>
>>variety of sources, like teachers, librarians and parents, too.
>>
>>"The idea that elementary-school kids are ripping off business software is
>>    
>>
>a
>  
>
>>little strange," Weingarten said. "But that's (the BSA's) problem. They'll
>>decide where they want to focus their education efforts."
>>
>>Ren Bucholz, activism coordinator at the Electronic Frontier Foundation,
>>said it makes sense that the BSA would target young kids.
>>
>>"Kids may not have such fully formed ideas about how the world works,"
>>Bucholz said. "For older students, that stuff doesn't wash."
>>
>>He said once students develop critical thinking skills, read the news and
>>learn about content owners suing their customers, for instance, it
>>    
>>
>decreases
>  
>
>>the industry's ability to "take the moral high ground." Encouraging
>>    
>>
>students
>  
>
>>to discuss issues related to file sharing would be more productive.
>>
>>The EFF has also developed a proposal for an intellectual-property
>>curriculum of its own, which has not yet been funded.
>>
>>Last year, the MPAA sponsored a program called "What's the Diff?" with
>>Junior Achievement, a nonprofit organization that provides business and
>>economics-related curriculum to schools. The curriculum was a shorter
>>supplement to JA's regular programs.
>>
>>The program included an essay contest in which students competed to write
>>the most creative plan to convince their peers not to download content
>>illegally from the Internet. The digital-citizenship program is still
>>available to teachers through local JA offices for another year, but no
>>contest or prizes will be issued this year.
>>
>>"In retrospect, if we were to do this again, we would want to talk more
>>about fair use than we did this time around," said Darrell Luzzo, the vice
>>president of education for JA Worldwide.
>>
>>Luzzo said discussions with educators at the National Education
>>    
>>
>Association
>  
>
>>helped them realize that the program should have taken a broader
>>    
>>
>perspective
>  
>
>>on copyright instead of focusing on one side of the issue.
>>
>>The NEA also objected to the lavish prizes and freebies offered by the
>>    
>>
>MPAA.
>  
>
>>"We want to teach children to be thinking human beings," said Melinda
>>Anderson, a spokeswoman for the NEA. "Not a parrot for some corporate
>>agenda."
>>
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>>This is the Pho mailing list.
>>Help? http://www.pholist.org/help.php
>>
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>This is the Pho mailing list.
>Help? http://www.pholist.org/help.php
>
>
>
>  
>


-- 
Lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it,
you better never let it go,
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
this opportunity comes once in a lifetime.

-- Eminem: from 8 Mile

www.iriXx.org
www.copyleftmedia.org.uk