Captain Copyright Targets Kids 430
frank249 writes "The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency has set up a copyright education website called Captain Copyright. There is a section for kids with comic books and a section for teachers for grades 1-3, 3-6 and 6-8. An example of a grade 1 class activity: 'Present the following situation to students: Your friend is downloading a song off the Internet. In comes Captain Copyright. Ask: What do you think Captain Copyright will say?
Encourage students to brainstorm. Then hand out (or read) Line Master: Some Copyright Laws.' In Canadian law it is incorrect to download a song unless you pay for it. They also neglect to mention that Canadians pay a tax on blank media that is meant to compensate artists for downloads."
For the kids. (Score:5, Funny)
We have a daughter due in July (really! I'm reproducing now...) In a few years I imagine she'll ask "Daddy... who's Captain Copyright?" and I'll say "Sweetie, he's like God." She'll reply "What do you mean, Daddy, all knowing, all powerful and something to be in awe of?" "No dear," I'll reply, "a make-believe thing people in power use against the masses to keep them scared."
Re:For the kids. (Score:5, Funny)
Close, but no cigar.
"Captain Copyright? I remember that site! It was where a bunch of Farkers and SA Forum Goons downloaded a huge library of source images [captaincopyright.ca] for the funniest set Photoshop parodies ever!"
Re:For the kids. (Score:4, Funny)
First, we explain how the internet makes culture and information plentiful goods, and how if the government didn't criminalize sharing it, market forces would in short order make them freely available to everyone in as much abundance as they wished.
Then we explain how the whole copyright thing is a conspiracy by a bunch of Rich White Men to tie access to culture, education and information to earning power as a covert way of keeping it away from women, who have less earning power. (Don't worry if that last bit is true or not, they'll accept it.)
Then we can just sit back, watch the fireworks, and in no time copyright will be toast.
(Just don't let the chinese hear this logic, or they might start enforcing copyright over there)
Re:For the kids. (Score:2)
Ironic tag....
Re:For the kids. (Score:3, Insightful)
I think you've misunderstood. "Captain Copyright" is a character on a CRIA website. He has nothing to do with public schools. Actually, I think it's pretty unlikely he'd show up in a public school. We try to leave the special interests and religious education in the private and separate schools.
Re:For the kids. (Score:2, Insightful)
and you should look at how other people, not under the influences you cite, experience God and religion. if you do see how it enriches, sustains, and gives hope, you're just stereotyping, which is merely intellectual laziness.
Re:For the kids. (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, I don't mean to call your religion fantasy. Yours is the right one, and everyone else in the world worships a fantasy. We both agree on that.
Kids learn about God and science in different ways (Score:3, Insightful)
It turns out kids notice [livescience.com] that nobody says "I believe germs exist" or "I believe in gravity", but people do say "I believe in God". And so kids are much less sure about God existing. (Nobody gets punished for not believing in atoms.)
I only wish more parents would realize that about their "beliefs", and think about it.
Re:No I am NOT sterotyping (Score:5, Insightful)
I was never told not to do something simply because it was against god's will. During my confirmation, I asked my preacher why the church had a problem with pornography (in context with the lesson) and he gave me a very logical answer. He didn't punish me for questioning the beliefs of the church, and he didn't answer with "Because god says so." He was trying to help me understand with hopes that I might be a more considerate, caring person when I entered adulthood.
And what hipocrasy do you speak of? I really didn't see much at my church. People interpreted what the bible said into logical advice. It gives perspective to issues people might otherwise struggle with.
I'm not sure what you're next point is supposed to mean.
Yes, their are leaders who use religion to brainwash their followers. There are also leaders who wrap themselves in the American flag and call anyone who disagrees with them unpatriotic. This doesn't mean anyone who considers themself to be patriotic agrees with those leaders. Just because some leaders abuse religion does not mean religion exists solely to control people.
The church I grew up in asks only for enough to keep the church going. The minister leads a very modest lifestyle, and while I saw political discussion at my church, I never saw anyone be told who to vote for.
And my church is not alone. I've known Christians, Jews and Muslims who take advice from their religion, and I mean logical advice, not manipulative propaganda. This can help lead to enlightment, and it's certainly not just saying "it's god's will."
The blatant stereotypes you're spreading are propogated because of what I believe is a loud minority. People like Fred Phelps lead others to believe that all Christians hate homosexuals and non-christians, but this is simply not the case. People like Osama Bin Laden make muslims appear to be bloodthirsty and anti-american. Again, this is generally not the case.
I think religion has a lot to offer the world, and I think it's a pity that it gets abused as often as it does. Personally, I don't go to church because I find it boring. I don't necessarily believe one faith is any more "correct" than another, but I do think religion can be a valuable asset to a person as they mature and grow, and as a result, it can help make the world a better place.
And to think, I read into the comments on this article because I was intrigued by the fact Canadians pay a tax on blank media to help compensate artists.
Re:No I am NOT sterotyping (Score:3, Interesting)
with that in mind, I am not at all religeous, but still have strong moral values, obtained as follows:
- there is no god, natural rights or universal truth
Re:OK ... reproducing? (Score:4, Funny)
PADUCAH, KY, AP Wire -
Captain Copyright was arrested today but Federal Authorities on counterfeiting charges. In an ironic turn of events, the former crusader for corporate intellectual property rights was caught red-handed making counterfeit $20.00 bills with a laser printer, an iron, and a hair dryer.
When asked, friends were solemn about Copyright's descent into ruin. "He was such a nice guy until the RIAA stopped sending checks", notes once close friend Hayla Bullets. "Then, he just started drinking, grumbling a lot, and working in his machine shop.
Attorneys for Mr. Copyright could not be reached for comment.
Because there's nothing better they can be doing (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Because there's nothing better they can be doin (Score:2, Funny)
I concur with your post.
Re:Because there's nothing better they can be doin (Score:2)
I for one fully support this campaign (Score:3, Funny)
You know in hindsight (Score:2)
Re:Because there's nothing better they can be doin (Score:2)
Re:It's in the National Interest (Score:2, Interesting)
It's only critical in that its current form & implementation will ensure that the U.S. is unable to compete technologically & economically with other countries that have "looser" IP protection.
Re:It's in the National Interest (Score:5, Informative)
In 2005, the movie industry's total domestic revenue [boxofficemojo.com] was a bit shy of $9 billion.
Intel Corporation's revenue in the same period [google.com] was almost $39 billion.
So that's one company in one sector of the economy (albeit a big one) makes, all by itself, over four times what the entire movie industry makes.
While we're here, let's toss off some other revenue figures: IBM earned over $91 billion, Microsoft nearly $40 billion, General Motors almost two hundred billion dollars. GM lost more money last year than the movie industry earned in total (not counting expenses), and barely noticed.
The Copyright Cartel has done an excellent job as portraying itself as a critical industry, but don't be fooled. They are, at best, a miniscule piece of the American economy.
Software is somewhat of a different story, but they have their own ridiculousness (BSA), and you'll notice that of the companies cited, only one of them makes most of their money because of software copyrights.
Re:It's in the National Interest (Score:4, Informative)
Microsoft is the largest "soft" IP company (that is, they aren't known for making tangibles), and it's half the size of IBM. Microsoft is also roughly four times the size of the entire Hollywood movie industry. It's half the size of IBM, which in turn is: half the size of General Motors; a third the size of WalMart; a quarter the size of ExxonMobil.
The xxAA side of the entertainment industry could curl up and die tomorrow and the US economy would barely notice. The music and movie industries combined (roughly USD21b in 2004) don't equate to Sun and Apple together, never mind the dozens of individual companies that turn over many multiples of that figure.
Not gonna fly (Score:5, Insightful)
Obligatory "second opinion" ;-) (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Not gonna fly (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Not gonna fly (Score:3, Informative)
I only wish I were kidding. According to Wikipedia they are U.S. Trademark Serial Nos. 72243225 and 73222079 [wikipedia.org]. (And believe me when I tell you I scoured the site for any use of the term. No dice. They may be dead-ass wrong, but I admire their consistency.)
-Peter
The answer is obviously (Score:2)
OK, so maybe it won't quite be worded that way, but probably something along those lines. Do we really need the RIAA et al creating comic books that encourage kids to report on their friends? What's next, reporting that your neighbour is possibly harbouring an arabic man in his attic (substitute arabic for jewish and step back about half a century, you'
Much Better Answer (Score:2)
Infringement... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Infringement... (Score:2)
You can't hold a copyright on a two word phrase. This would fall under trademark law, not copyright law.
Re:Infringement... (Score:5, Insightful)
But never mind the hypocracy - what kind of teacher uses materials in class that did not come from an independant source? Don't they have pride in their profession? Ahem - won't somebody think of the children?
Re:Infringement... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Obligatory VGCATS reference (Score:2)
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=164 [vgcats.com]
Re:Infringement... (Score:2)
If it were "Captain IP", then you'd have
Go IP!
This guy's pre-superhero name wouldn't be (Score:2)
Copyright may be an important principle.... (Score:2)
Seriously, read "the story of Captain Copyright" in the "for kids" section of the website.
What kind of kid is going to enjoy that pile of crap?
"Education!=indoctrination" (Score:2)
All Your Kids Belong to Us! (Score:4, Funny)
Blatant? (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't condone or support piracy at all.... (Score:5, Insightful)
...but this comic is lame. Look at this page [captaincopyright.ca] and the previous one. Somebody gets an A just because they didn't use a bootleg version of the textbook? Give me a break.
There is also another page [captaincopyright.ca] in the copyright comic that seems to confuse one issue (collaborate research and somebody trying to take all of the credit) with copyright law. The comic ended in a cliffhanger after a few pages, but I don't think this comic book is effective at all (not to mention lame), and the comic confuses issues, too.
Re:I don't condone or support piracy at all.... (Score:3, Funny)
Where's the little picture of Captain Copyright standing outside the burnt-out building with a gas can?
Re:I don't condone or support piracy at all.... (Score:2)
Re:I don't condone or support piracy at all.... (Score:2)
Re:I don't condone or support piracy at all.... (Score:2)
Private corporations dictating what's taught. (Score:2)
Re:Private corporations dictating what's taught. (Score:2)
Logo faux-pas (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Logo faux-pas (Score:2)
not to compensate for downloads (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:not to compensate for downloads (Score:2)
Funny. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Funny. (Score:5, Informative)
Canadian law and American law are not the same? Shocker!
In all fairness (Score:2)
Re:Funny. (Score:2)
The terminology is different from the US.
I thought it was legal in Canada? (Score:2)
Or has the law changed since 2003?
Re:I thought it was legal in Canada? (Score:2)
Next : Canadian Govt. & RIAA publish new movie (Score:2)
Re:Next : Canadian Govt. & RIAA publish new mo (Score:3, Funny)
I am.... Captain Condom!
Infringing? (Score:5, Funny)
--
Think! It ain't illegal yet!
George Clinton
Re:Infringing? (Score:2)
Re:Infringing? (Score:5, Funny)
Blank Media Levy (Score:4, Informative)
This is incorrect, the blank media levy was designed to compensate artists for people copying CDs and other recordings. The "Download Question" was not seriously considered at the time the levy was introduced and it is a matter of opinion if it applies to downloads.
Re:Blank Media Levy (Score:2)
By claiming it exists for the purpose of people copying CD's, etc, it can appear that this payment is justifying people making copies for purposes other than personal use. It is not.
That is not to say that the levy's purpose is to cover personal use copying either, however... since that was already granted under Canadian copyright law.
While indeed the levy exists to cover copying outside of personal use, it is NOT a justification of that action any
NO, it is not a "matter of opinion", (Score:4, Informative)
screw these liars trying to pervert and poison the minds of impressionable youth! get it through your heads you greedy corps, it's not illegal in canada!, and the majority of the public doesn't consider it wrong where you've bought the laws making it illegal in other nations!
Captain Copyright to sue slashdot . . . (Score:5, Interesting)
"permission to link is explicitly withheld from any website the contents of which may, in the opinion of the Access Copyright, be damaging or cause harm to the reputation of Access Copyright."
Holy Nutsack Cap'n Copyright!
More making fun of this ridiculous attempt at a valid legal statement here [techdirt.com] (disclaimer: not affiliated).
Re:Captain Copyright to sue slashdot . . . (Score:2)
Oops. Guess that means they can't legally be indexed by Google or any other search engine then.
metainfo (Score:2)
Nope: 1 page black and white with about 8 lines of typing.
Maybe the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency needs a bandwidth tax, too.
For Kids? (Score:2)
Err... that's a bit too wordy for kids, who probably wouldn't be reading about copyright law in that detail anyway. Also, I cannot help but notice that there are no A's or B's.
Maybe it should have a section on how they can pirate stuff, that'd be more useful.
You know (Score:2)
and now the circle is complete (Score:5, Insightful)
Copyright jackasses are marketting their kindergarten-level understanding of intellectual property to actual kindergarteners.
Fuck you. My pony is better than your stupid pony.
Re:and now the circle is complete (Score:2, Funny)
Sorry, couldn't resist
Incorrect to download for free? (Score:2, Troll)
Re:Incorrect to download for free? (Score:3, Insightful)
OMG OMG QUIZ ANSWERS HERE1!!1!! READ INSIDE1!!!!1! (Score:2)
1. You wrote a poem for class. Do you have to register it with the Copyright Board of Canada for your poem to be protected by copyright law? NO!!
2. Each province is covered by the same copyright law. True or false? TRUE!!
3. Your friend got a computer game and you want to download it to your computer. Is this something you may do? NO!! (even if it's freeware or shareware!!)
4. You framily has 3 computers in the house. When you get new software are you allowed to install
Interesting Angle (Score:2)
http://www.captaincopyright.ca/Kids/ColouringBook
Hmmmm.
Excerpt from the quiz for kids (Score:4, Funny)
I'm sure kids will learn tons with these fun quizes and games.
Torrent? (Score:2, Funny)
frank249 I hope you typed that quote out longhand. (Score:4, Funny)
Captain C/The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency,: Please do not sue me, but I copied and pasted the URL into the link above. If this is a violation, have the Swedish police sieze Slashdot's servers.
Copyrights Do Expire, Don't They (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, the performances of the songs may be copyrighted, but even that isn't a certainty. There is a Public Domain into which the performing artist may release their performance.
If the tune, lyrics, and performance aren't protected intellectual property then the first grader should call the police and have Captain Copyright arrested for child molestation. Okay, there wasn't any sexual molestation involved, but a man in a skin tight costume who constantly barges in on first graders in their homes will have a very difficult time convincing a jury of that fact.
But is it going to be more effective than (Score:5, Funny)
As someone who actually has registered Canadian (Score:2, Insightful)
Look, why won't Captain Copyright teach them about Fair Use, or the fact that colleges, schools, and universities are exempt from many copyright restrictions, or about public copyrights?
Now, having actually travelled across Canada on a Canada Council Grant, as a playwright and author, I know where some of the money paid by the library system goes. I'm not against copyrights, but let's tell the truth, not a distorted pro-corporate version
[f
Compensation - not for downloads really (Score:2, Informative)
Not really. The tax is meant to cover copies made from legitimately obtained originals, as in when your friend loans you his CD or you borrow it from the library. In Canada it has been ruled that the blank media tax covers this and it's legal to copy the CD, whatever the RIAA or whomever may think. I don't think that the download case has been tested.
I agree with the previous poster
Talk about stupid superheroes! (Score:2)
Oh. On second notice, I guess "Condom Crusader" came [twistedimage.com] first [twistedimage.com].
Oh dear god. (Score:4, Funny)
"RIAA!"
"MPAA!"
"Fear!"
"Uncertainty!"
"Doubt!"
"GO COPYRIGHT!"
"By your powers combined, I AM CAPTAIN COPYRIGHT!"
Re:Oh dear god. - MOD UP PARENT - FUNNY! (Score:2, Funny)
Captain Copyright says: (Score:2)
00945 00223 07450 00645 41700
00043 00019 00431 00077 38473
89 89
Vote early, vote often! (Score:4, Interesting)
A few million similar votes should get the point across.
What a waste of time... (Score:2)
blank media levy and Canadian artists (Score:2)
"They also neglect to mention that Canadians pay a tax on blank media that is meant to compensate artists for downloads."
The inaccuracy of the "...for downloads" portion has already been addressed, so I'll just point out that Slashdotters always neglect to mention that the levy goes only to Canadian artists. If you're Canadian and you're downloading music from US, Europe or elsewhere in the world, it's a misguided approach to assume that the blank media levy is compensating these artists whose work you
Let's Slashdot 'em! (Score:4, Insightful)
It's worse than you think (Score:2)
From their Terms of Use page:
What you can do with the Materials: Authorization and Limited Licence Access Copyright grants you a limited, royalty-free, non-exclusive and non-transferable right and licence to view and display the Materials on your computer or network of computers within a single entity, and download and print the Materials for your own personal internal use or educational use in educational institutions located in Canada, subject to the following conditions
i. You are not permitted
What about GNU man? FairUse man? (Score:2)
I am a Canadian high school student... (Score:2, Informative)
I've not had the displeasure of sitting through this; they aim it at the younger grades (14, 15 years old). While the website for "Captain Copyright" emphasizes intellectual property rights, the in-class indoctrination mostly talks about not plagarizing, so at least at my school, I think fairly little harm is being done.
Even better, I have heard many of my peers mocking "Captain Copyright" and many seemed quite well informed about the law concerning fair dealing and had strong opinions on why the curr
Character names (Score:3, Interesting)
Aside from that, the comic is rather lame -- it's so overdone, even a child should be able to detect the smell of propoganda...
Based on a Fallacy (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Based on a Fallacy (Score:3, Insightful)
It's shitty, deceitful, and amoral, but it's not exclusively obsessed with file sharing. Unlike you, apparently.
Re:Orwell Anyone? (Score:2)
Or, to echo the FP's sentiments, the Jesuit saying:
"The tobacco industry. Oh, if only we had their numbers..."
Re:Orwell Anyone? Or Godwin??? (Score:4, Funny)
My God! Second post, and by Godwin's Law [wikipedia.org] this discussion is already over!
Of course this begs the question of will the record companies last until these kids grow up into nice, well-controlled, consumers.
And when did 'hitler' become a lower-case adjective?
Re:Orwell Anyone? Or Godwin??? (Score:5, Funny)
When he failed to defend his trademark and it became generic. "Escalator", "Yo-yo", "Shredded Wheat", and now "Hitler" are prime examples of trademarks which have fallen into the public domain through abandonment or poor defense.
Where Hitler went wrong was not through lack of defense (you should have seen his army of lawyers), but through misuse of the Hitler trademark. Where Third Reich productions threw around the name Hitler as though it were a noun they should have used it as an adjective from the start and emphasized it to set it apart from the surrounding text. Using phrases like "Hitler conquered half of Europe" is just asking for trouble. "Hitler® brand World Domination conquered half of Europe" makes it clear what the brand name is and that it is a registered trademark.
Re:Orwell Anyone? Or Godwin??? (Score:2, Funny)
god only knows.
Ooh! Maybe the mgt. could write that! (n/t) (Score:2)