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The MPAA is trying to get younger kids to turn down file sharing

The Motion Picture Association of America has partnered with the Los Angeles Area Boy Scouts to create a new patch for Boy Scouts – a “Respect Copyrights” activities patch. The movie industry helped develop the patch so that scouts can be educated on how movies are made and why films are valuable. The scouts will learn basics of copyright law while learning how to identify five different types of copyrighted works and three different ways that the copyrighted material may be acquired. Scouts will also get to visit a movie studio or some other activity to emphasize the impact that file sharing has on workers.

The MPAA hopes that its latest initiative will help educate younger kids in hope of getting them to shy away from file sharing. Other California Boy Scout councils will have access to the program sometime next year. The program is designed for scouts from 6 to 21 years of age.

Not surprisingly, many of the Los Angeles area scouts are from families that are somehow connected to the entertainment and/or film industry. What the MPAA is giving out isn't technically a merit badge – it's simply a "patch."

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Outrageous
By Wwhat on 10/21/2006 8:18:12 AM , Rating: 4
Outrageous and not in line with the boy scout thinking to become corporate lackeys.
It's one thing to try to be fair and honest etc but another thing for the corporate badges to get in the mix and thus sully the whole concept of honesty and fairness.
In the end this will backfire and they will feel used and become pirates after reaching an age when the cynism sets in and they realise the dirtyness.




RE: Outrageous
By JonB on 10/21/06, Rating: -1
RE: Outrageous
By jonobp1 on 10/21/2006 10:44:37 AM , Rating: 4
If you record a song off the radio is that not stealing? Oh wait...it isn't...well only if the quality is below a set standard...man this is confusing.

I have an idea. Instead of trying to impart Hitler Youth values on these kids why don't we try giving them a hand with something for once. Maybe every time a boyscout helps out at a homeless shelter we could make a merit badge for turning in a Scoutmaster who is sexually abusing these kids. Or maybe we could make a new badge for narc'in out the priest that abuses young buys...odd how they get moved to other parishes instead of thrown in jail.

Off topic you say? About as off topic as making a freaking badge for copyright crap. Seriously aren't there a lot more important things in this world that having our kids learn about crap like this? To any parents of scouts reading this you should be ashamed. Your organization used to stand for something, a goal that tried to make a difference in the world. I would hire one scout that helped with a charity before I would take someone who was brainwashed to respect copyrights and tattle tail on people. Teaching them to not do something for whatever reason is one thing, involving others besides your personal self is another. I'm just waiting for some 10 year old kid to get shot trying to sell out some guy in the street selling movies because he needs to buy crack.

Stupid stupid stupid. Next we'll be sending these kids to North Korea because nuclear weapons are bad..."ummmkay"


RE: Outrageous
By TomZ on 10/21/2006 11:59:57 AM , Rating: 5
Interesting thoughts. I'll add my own - how about a Tolerance Merit Badge. The Boy Scouts are the organization that (successfully!) argued in court that they are so homophobic that to allow a gay leader within would destroy the organization. What lesson can the boys learn from that example?

I realize that at the community level, the Scouts are a fine organization, but their leadership and their connections with the Mormon church are screwed up, if you ask me.


RE: Outrageous
By Exodus220 on 10/21/06, Rating: -1
RE: Outrageous
By StevoLincolnite on 10/21/2006 1:11:41 PM , Rating: 5
You obviously have a stereo typical image inbedded into your brain, So let me give you some insight on Gays and Straights.
A gay man, Does that MAKE him a pedophile by default? NO!
A Straight Man, Does that Make him a pedophile by default? NO!
What they do have in common, is that because they are both human, There have been cases of wrong doings. Thus Straight man = young girl.
Gay man = Young boy.
Just because someone is gay doesnt make them a pedo.
Its not the "Open" Gay guys that you have to worry about, they usually have a partner anyway, its the closets who prey on the helpless, Or just those that are sick in the head.
Basically, the chances of a child being abused, is equal even if someone is straight or gay. The only reason you hear more about gay guys doing it is, because it sounds so much more dramatic and the media plays upon that.


RE: Outrageous
By smitty3268 on 10/21/2006 1:25:30 PM , Rating: 2
Actually, pedophiles don't neccessarily go after children the same sex that they would be attracted to as adults. Gay pedophiles sometimes go after girls and straight ones sometimes go after boys. And no, being homosexual has no effect on whether someone is a pedophile.

Now, if you are talking about 16-18 year olds, then that stops being pedophilia and a gay man might start hitting on them if he had no morals and bad judgement (like Foley). Seriously, though, an openly gay man who is a scout leader is probably going to be one of the better people you'll come across.


RE: Outrageous
By StevoLincolnite on 10/22/2006 2:32:02 AM , Rating: 3
Your wrong there, if your a gay male, and go after a female, doesnt matter what age, Your not really gay are you? No. Then your classed a Bi-Sexual or Bi-Curious. Same thing with a straight male. And here in Australia for Hetero Sexual activities you must be at least 16. Gays/Lesbians minimum age is 18 Any sexual activities under that age, and its illegal.


RE: Outrageous
By poohbear on 10/22/2006 11:39:33 PM , Rating: 5
my god exodus220, where do u live? have u ever met any gay people? they're not all pedophiles and perverts, please get your stereotypes out of your head and bea little more tolerant, its the 21st century. Do u also think blacks will teach him larceny? do you also think a muslim would teach your son about terrorism? you've just made a blanket statement about an entire group of people man, that's a completley ignorant way to think. I can make blanket statements about religous christians like you, but i wont, cause i've met some that are so tolerant and loving of other people and some that are downright scarey and intolerant.


RE: Outrageous
By bkohler on 10/21/2006 1:12:08 PM , Rating: 3
So I'm supposing you don't hire female babysitters either? Or let your kid stay after school with female teachers?

Or is it only gay men that might do something sexually perverted?



RE: Outrageous
By bigboxes on 10/22/2006 7:34:59 AM , Rating: 2
If there is a gay leader in the BSA then it's not your kid you have to worry about. I would say that you have a greater chance of being molested than your kid. Think about it. Being gay doesn't attract you to kids any more than being straight.

Mormons comprise only 1.8% of Americans (http://www.lds.org/newsroom/page/0,15606,4036-1---... ). Of that number I would think that even less are children (although many mormons have large families). It's hard to believe your position that mormons make up half the BSA membership when they only make up 1.8% of the American population.


RE: Outrageous
By bigboxes on 10/22/2006 7:44:08 AM , Rating: 2
Ok, I found the numbers myself. Currently, the Mormons sponsor nearly 13% of all Scout troops. That IS a high percentage for such a small group of individuals, but still nowhere near that 50% plateu that you spoke of.


RE: Outrageous
By TomZ on 10/22/2006 1:11:40 PM , Rating: 2
The problem is not at the troop level - it is at the top leadership level - and that is where the tie-in with the church is important in terms of setting and enforcing policies of discrimination.

To me, the really ironic thing is that Jesus taught acceptance of all, to love thy neighbors, to not be judgemental of others. I think if Jesus visited America today, he would be ashamed of many of the actions that are being taken in His name, not just in the Scouts, but more generally. In my view, certain churches and religious organizations are largely responsible for many of the hate messages in our society today.


RE: Outrageous
By L1NUXownz1fUR1337 on 10/22/06, Rating: 0
RE: Outrageous
By keoki on 10/21/2006 7:13:47 PM , Rating: 2
Nice--you bag on homophobia and then quickly turn around and show off your religous bigotry.

Haha


RE: Outrageous
By TomZ on 10/21/2006 7:40:52 PM , Rating: 2
Not true - the point of my bringing up the church connection is that the church is the obvious source of the homophobia. That's all, nothing more.


RE: Outrageous
By blueflash2o on 10/21/2006 9:19:12 PM , Rating: 2
If you would have read the summary you would have read
quote:
What the MPAA is giving out isn't technically a merit badge – it's simply a "patch."

It means nothing. It just saying they did some activity. You can get an activity patch for just showing up most of the time.


RE: Outrageous
By ElJefe69 on 10/23/2006 2:25:49 PM , Rating: 2
you support loose morals, individualism and weenie/geek sides of arguments.

Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts support morals that are above and beyond your own.


RE: Outrageous
By cubby1223 on 10/21/2006 9:03:09 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Corporate lackeys? Corporate badges? I think you are severely overreacting. I've taught several Boy Scout Merit Badge classes related to computers. Some of the material I used was prepared by Intel and by IBM. It didn't make anybody turn into corporate zombies. The Boy Scouts try very hard to teach responsibility and honesty. Respect for copyrights fits perfectly.

I'm sure there's a difference here. Computer related teachings are probably something the Boy Scouts initiated and asked for information from intel, IBM, etc., it was *their* agenda. I'm sure it's the MPAA that's pushing the copyright badges on the Boy Scouts, it's the MPAA's agenda to spread these issues.


RE: Outrageous
By shortylickens on 10/22/2006 1:03:24 AM , Rating: 2
That this whole thing started in LA is no shock to me.
Even the Boyscouts in Los Angeles are headfvcked.
I feel really scared for future generations.


stupid RIAA
By swatX on 10/21/2006 6:20:22 AM , Rating: 5
haha if i was in boy scouts and i got that patch, the next thing i would do is go home and download a stupid movie.

seriously how stupid is this!? its like asking not to eat candy to kids because it is bad for health.




RE: stupid RIAA
By judasmachine on 10/21/2006 7:44:37 AM , Rating: 2
hehe, reminds me of when the school told me beer and pot were bad.


RE: stupid RIAA
By ZmaxDP on 10/21/06, Rating: -1
RE: stupid RIAA
By ElJefe69 on 10/23/2006 2:27:17 PM , Rating: 2
beer and pot arent bad, I agree! Losers like you who support them and use them are actually bad!


RE: stupid RIAA
By BladeVenom on 10/21/2006 12:58:01 PM , Rating: 2
The MPAA brown shirts.


RE: stupid RIAA
By Samus on 10/21/2006 8:28:45 AM , Rating: 5
this isn't the RIAA, its the MPAA.

the MPAA takes an entirely different approach to prosecution and copyright infringment than the RIAA and should be respected for it.

also, unlike the RIAA, the MPAA doesn't rape artists and studio's on royalty's and distribution costs. hell, you can get 2-3 dvd movies for the price of 1 music cd anymore, and theater's do most of the raping on ticket prices. I used to work at an AMC and we all figured the studio's charged about $3/ticket and the theater sold them for $9. That's a 300% markup from the theater, but hey, they have equipment and employee's to pay too.


RE: stupid RIAA
By lemonadesoda on 10/21/2006 10:19:44 AM , Rating: 2
200%

Nonetheless, the theatre business is pretty low profit in many cirsumstances, and they need the food drink and candy stands to help make their margin.

Also remember how the industry works:

The STUDIOS dont charge per ticket. They sell the movie to distribution companies that rent the movie to the theatres.


RE: stupid RIAA
By johnsonx on 10/21/2006 1:42:23 PM , Rating: 2
While I don't know this as a fact, my understanding is that movie theaters actually barely break even on ticket sales. It's the overpriced drinks, popcorn and candy that brings a profit.


RE: stupid RIAA
By smitty3268 on 10/21/2006 3:11:10 PM , Rating: 2
That's correct. The ticket prices let them break even, and all their profits come from the snacks.


RE: stupid RIAA
By EarthsDM on 10/21/2006 12:10:27 PM , Rating: 3
Here's something similar: teaching boy scouts about safe sex in an ... unorthodox manner: http://www.pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF191-Boy_Scouts.jp... Here's hoping I don't get banned.


Meritless Badge
By Dactyl on 10/21/2006 6:55:52 AM , Rating: 5
What the MPAA is giving out isn't technically a merit badge – it's simply a "patch."

To get the merit badge, you have to inform on three people to the MPAA, and bring proof to your Scoutmaster.

But you can't wear it on your uniform in the usual place--it has to go on an armband.




[sigh]
By judasmachine on 10/21/2006 7:43:41 AM , Rating: 1
we aren't taught, we're indoctrinated.




RE: [sigh]
By Soviet Robot on 10/22/2006 10:48:57 PM , Rating: 2
That's the whole point of the boy scouts.


Get them while they're young...
By stmok on 10/21/2006 8:17:27 AM , Rating: 3
This isn't a new tactic.

In Canada, they tried a kids propaganda campaign involving a cartoon character called "Captain Copyright". The website of it still exists, but the content has been taken down due to complaints. (The initial pilot was VERY one sided, favouring the recording industry).

This all sounds funny at first, but may indicate how desperate the situation is for the music/movie industry.




font?
By Loser on 10/21/2006 6:17:24 AM , Rating: 2
offtopic: why the sudden font change?




Entertainment
By Spacecomber on 10/21/2006 6:51:23 AM , Rating: 2
LOL, I'm glad to see that at least these Hollywood folks know how to keep us entertained.

This is both funny and scary at the same time. It must take a certain kind of strange creativity to come up with an idea like this.




By mindless1 on 10/21/2006 12:20:43 PM , Rating: 2
Seems only fitting to also create a "MP3 buddy" badge and hand out pirate eye patches.

Those making and distributing music are entitled to be paid (what the consumer will bear, not a cent more) but this kind of nonsense has to stop if they want to stop alienating customers. People aren't stupid, they know where this propaganda comes from and don't like having others' values thrust upon their children, regardless of whether the message is about illegal activity. Do the scouts have "Don't stab people" badges? How about "No jaywalking" badges? "Honest Tax Return" badges? I don't think so!!




Crap
By DigitalFreak on 10/22/2006 10:08:15 AM , Rating: 2
They probably get the badge by turning in their friends...




By encryptkeeper on 10/23/2006 9:31:15 AM , Rating: 2
Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges.




Way off topic
By viperpa on 10/23/2006 3:34:28 PM , Rating: 2
Seems like we got way off topic. It went from talking about MPAA copyright merit badges to talking about gays. If the MPAA want's to donate money or there facilities to the boy scouts, that's fine. The MPAA having the boy scouts support there position, I don't think should happen.

The merit badges is about learning a skill not support a companies position on issues.




totalitarian corporations
By SaintSinner1 on 10/24/2006 9:35:06 AM , Rating: 2
you might not recoginze this people and you should wake up ... in the past Boy Scouts in comunistic countries in the Europe were first level of brainwashing young people ... u can get patch for example if you inform on your parents or friends if they said something wrong about the govermnment or party ... corporation with there money power are becoming like comunistic party they regulate what you watch, listen, say soon they will decide if you can exist ... good luck




By mindless1 on 10/21/2006 12:16:11 PM , Rating: 2
It's amazing that in this day and age, people still PRETEND to know what they're talking about when using the word "stealing" in relation to copyright infringement.

In your world, are there only 3 words to describe all possible illegal activities?


By Gatt on 10/21/2006 12:56:55 PM , Rating: 2
So then, you can explain how downloading a movie is somehow different than pocketing it off a store shelf?

It isn't. Just because it's bits instead of plastic doesn't somehow make it all ok. Nor does it give anyone an inherent right to do it.

People will learn though, because we'll either soon have discs with physical markings that must be present to be played, or the Government's will be forced to outright ban all P2P. One of the two things will happen, and when it does, everyone can thank the people downloading movies and songs.


By mindless1 on 10/21/2006 2:20:11 PM , Rating: 2
You REALLY need this explained?

Seems like a shallow argument you have, falls through the moment, oh, any actual facts get involved.

Again, I don't condone keeping people from getting paid, but I don't condone ignoring all evidence and trying to make overly simplistic and inaccurate claims either.

As for why we'll have protected discs or government legislation, it's because of two things:

1) The technology to implement it came.

2) Conspiracy by the major labels and their stuffing of a few peoples' wallets.

There has never been any established loss of profit from MP3s. It is merely an excuse by an industry that likes to ignore that there was a time when they didn't exist because of no market, and there is a peak for their market, and there is a time when that peak for direct distribution of physical media in stores has PASSED. No amount of pointing fingers will turn back time, it's not the '80s anymore.


By smitty3268 on 10/21/2006 3:08:54 PM , Rating: 3
Not that I condone pirating, but:

quote:
So then, you can explain how downloading a movie is somehow different than pocketing it off a store shelf?

Sure. If you take it off a store shelf, then you are basically stealing money from that store - however much it cost them to buy the movie themselves. Downloading it doesn't steal money from anyone, because it is a free resource. What it does is keep the copyright owner from gaining money that they otherwise wouldn't have had. IOW, one is taking money away from someone. The other is refusing to pay someone, not actually taking away from them.

quote:
or the Government's will be forced to outright ban all P2P.

Yea, that will be as successful as prohibition.


By Spivonious on 10/23/2006 11:24:21 AM , Rating: 2
That is perhaps the most retarded argument I've ever read.

Copyright Owner: makes money from selling product.

Store Owner: pays Copyright Owner for product and applies mark-up to make some profit.

Consumer: pays Store Owner for product. End result, consumer gets product, store stays open, copyright owner continues producing product.

If you download a movie/album/song illegally, you are "not paying" the copyright owner. The copyright owner then gets no money and says "oh, well I'm not going to keep doing this if I'm going to lose money making the product."

If you steal the dvd/cd from a store, you are "not paying" the store. The copyright owner has already been paid, so it's the store losing money and not the copyright owner, but that point is moot. You still didn't pay for something. Taking something without paying is called "Theft" a.k.a. stealing.

My favorite line is this, because I can't help but laugh when I read it:
quote:
Downloading it doesn't steal money from anyone, because it is a free resource.

Where on earth did you get this notion? Copyrighted materials are not "free resources"; they're property of the person/company that created them. Can I live in your house without paying anything? It's a free resource.

If I made something and gave it away, I'd be happy that people liked it, but the hundreds of thousands of dollars that I invested in creating the product, packaging it, and distributing it would ruin my life if I didn't get any return on my investment.


By fic2 on 10/23/2006 1:53:32 PM , Rating: 2
I wonder how many casual copiers (dvd/music) would be willing to pay money directly to the copyright owner if a website was set up. Of course, the two things that I see wrong with this is
1) the RIAA would use the payment info to go after people that paid under the assumption that they didn't pay for everything they have downloaded/copied
2) the industry would still charge full retail price for you providing all the materials and doing all the work

I haven't bought a new cd in several years. I haven't copied any either. Last CD I bought ended having 1 good song on it. I just can't see paying $12-15 for something that is probably going to be at least 75% crap.


By Randalllind on 10/21/2006 2:36:26 PM , Rating: 2
MPAA & RIAA has no ethical vaules why do we have too? RIAA hates you ripping CD or download music. MPAA wants to disable the fast forward button and jam pack retail DVD's with ads with no way of skipping over them.

Disney has it right when they said DRM will make more people download or make copies of DVD's they own.

Disney now gets it DRM has it is now is bad.


RE: Outrageous
By AMDBOY on 10/22/06, Rating: -1
RE: Outrageous
By StevoLincolnite on 10/22/2006 8:22:19 AM , Rating: 2
"by AMDBOY on October 22, 2006 at 4:14 AM

Scouts are probably a lot more fun without fags."

Thats rather offensive, And 99% of the time you dont know who is gay and who isnt. When I was going to scouts (I would have been about 14). I didnt know about my sexuality. Turns out I wasnt the only gay kid going to scouts, Infact out of the 15 or so of us, there were 7 girls ALL of the girls turned out to be Bi-Sexual and me and another guy turned out gay. We had fun, yet your probably the person who "Dreams" about 2 gay women even though you have no hope in hell of getting in bed with them. because... woman can be GAY as well, which means they only like other women! I dont see why you take offense to gay guys, chances are your not the type of person they would "Like to get with". Gay Women Gay Males they are the same. Gays and Straights... We all bleed the same colour of blood, Get over your homophobia and get with the 21st century. Gays and lesbians are here to stay and will enjoy life to the full, even if there are those like yourself who like to bring them down because your a scard little girl. Get over yourself.


The Difference
By sceptus on 10/21/06, Rating: -1
RE: The Difference
By Tamale on 10/21/2006 3:12:30 PM , Rating: 2
more accurate answer: one is much easier to get away with than the other.


RE: The Difference
By sceptus on 10/21/06, Rating: -1
RE: The Difference
By mindless1 on 10/22/2006 8:28:59 AM , Rating: 2
There are alternative lesser shoe brands. How many times have people walked into a store and saw inde media labels? We all know the pricing is artificially high at retail.


RE: The Difference
By poohbear on 10/22/2006 11:44:12 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
What is the
difference between pirating a movie via download, and shoplifting that movie from your local movie store?


well, shoplifting is stealing, u take something and keep it for yourself. Downloading a movie is file sharing, u dont download it and keep it for yourself, u download it and share it w/ thousands of other people. THAT is not stealing. Please dont be so simple minded.


RE: The Difference
By smitty3268 on 10/21/2006 4:14:23 PM , Rating: 5
Wrong - see my post above. Summary: one is actively hurting someone, while the other is simply not helping.

If you steal one from a store, you are hurting that store. If you download a movie, the copyright owner isn't losing anything - they are in the same position they would have been in if you had decided not to watch the movie at all.


RE: The Difference
By Spivonious on 10/23/2006 11:26:38 AM , Rating: 2
But you didn't decide not to watch the movie at all. You decided to "not help" the creator of the movie and watch it anyway.

If you want to watch the movie, you must pay for it. Anything else is theft.


RE: The Difference
By BladeVenom on 10/21/2006 4:23:51 PM , Rating: 5
What's the difference between a retarded chimp, and someone who doesn't understand the difference between theft and infringement?


RE: The Difference
By smitty3268 on 10/21/2006 5:22:27 PM , Rating: 5
One's more hairy?


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