So, they reach for K12

source

Copyright Lobby Wants Access to K-12 Schools

May 27, 2009

We've got DRM in our games, the RIAA continues to sue small-fry, individual file sharers, the consumer-unfriendly Digital Millenium Copyright Act is the law of the land, the IP industry is trying to push DMCA-like legislation in Canada, and the secret ACTA copyright negotiations are ongoing.

But the copyright lobby would like to be in your kid's school, too.

The Copyright Alliance, a lobbying group which includes game publishers trade association the Entertainment Software Association among its members, has just launched the Copyright Alliance Education Foundation, which it bills as a non-profit, charitable organization:

Its mission as of now is K-12 schools, and... we are already working with many schools across the country... The focus of our curricula is student empowerment; communicating how the U.S. Constitution gives each and every one of us rights and ownership over our creations.

Taking classroom time away from the 3R's is not a new idea for those in the IP protection business, however. As GamePolitics reported in 2007, the ESA's top enforcement exec, Ric Hirsch, told attendees at an anti-piracy conference:

In the 15- to 24-year-old (range), reaching that demographic with morality-based messages is an impossible proposition... which is why we have really focused our efforts on elementary school children. At those ages, children are open to receiving messages, guidelines, rules of the road, if you will, with respect to intellectual property.

Telling us not to pirate is only going to encourage us to XD

Agreed.  Look how well the war on drugs or DARE does to keep kids/people off drugs.  Telling people not to do something leaves that person wondering why not or they see if the rewards out weigh the consequences.

Also, I don't think it is wise to add this into the school work since most USA schools are barely getting by teaching kids a decent education.  I believe math, science, english, history, and a few other subjects are far more important than trying to teach kids about not pirating.  This group can keep dreaming, and if they somehow manage to add this then it would just be a failed attempt (probably resulting in more kids/people pirating later on).  Oh jeez, I shouldn't pirate because my 2nd grade class told me not to...  Yea right...  Give me a break.

1. Fuck childhood indoctrination

2. Ideas are not property. Copy isn't theft. With copying, there's one for me, and one for you. With theft someone is left ass out.

3. I think this will lead more kids to pirating... They'll be like "What, you can get games for free?"

I don't like the big content producers. Copyright as it exists now only seems to serve their best interests. I don't understand why copyright has to last for so long, its over 50 years right now as it stands.

Ah, spoken by someone who has obviously never created anything in their life.

I hope someday you have the "pleasure" of toiling over something for hours/days/months and then watch someone else "copy" it. After all, it's their right to do so, isn't it? They didn't "steal" it from you because you still have your original copy, right? Your hard work was done simply for their freeloading ass to use, right?

There are serious issues with IP rights and copyright laws and I'm all for fixing them. But excusing yourself from jacking other peoples' shit is still inexcusable.

Well, if it waste class time, aand we talk about games and movies, I'm down with it.

Yes.

I don't know.  I kinda feel like that copyright laws and IP laws are inherently flawed and instead digital and "idea" based jobs should go back to the Patron system.

For a videogame example... Mount and Blade was funded by selling beta keys for Mount and Blade.

Such a system wouldn't be as efficient.  But seems the most effective and least nebulous.

MMO models are another way to go about it.  Some games are getting both ends... like those that unlock specific ingame content only if you get the preorder version.  Like Infamous and it's preorder exclusive attack.