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Microsoft Pushes Copyright Education Curriculum
Posted by
samzenpus
on Wed Feb 13, 2008 07:08 PM
from the problem-solved dept.
from the problem-solved dept.
Dotnaught writes "Backed by a study that says teens show more respect for copyrights when told of possible jail time for infringement, Microsoft is launching a new intellectual property curriculum to educate kids about IP law. To support its teachings, Microsoft has launched MyBytes, a Web site where students can create custom ringtones, share content — "their own content," as Microsoft makes clear — and learn more about intellectual property rights."
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Duh (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Duh (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:all your posts are belong to us (Score:4, Insightful)
Social network sites (Facebook, MySpace, etc) also do this, that is why my profiles on there is mostly empty.
But in short, this is an corporation theft, but they hide behind lawyers and some shadow explanations on this crap in there Eula. They don't tell kids about this stuff on there copyright web page. It doesn't fit them to tell them the truth, that they are making money on kids creations.
I hope that this web page of there goes to
Parent
Re:Duh (Score:5, Insightful)
"The only people who go to jail for infringement are commercial bootleggers and I can't imagine that'd include anyone under the age of 18 AKA high school students."
Not correct from either a factual or practical standpoint. I grant you that this is what many people believe to be the case, but nonetheless, it's incorrect. This may be one of the reasons why Microsoft is launching the education campaign: to counter falsehoods like the one you've relayed.
At any rate, Kevin Gonzalez uploaded a work print of The Hulk to a P2P network. He did this not for money; perhaps he was part of the scene or he just did it because he thinks information should be free. He was sentenced to six months of home confinement. William Fitzgerald was a fellow who traded warez via IRC; his mistake was making them available on his web server. Again, not for money. Nonetheless, he got four months in prison and four months in home confinement. Then there was Operation Buccaneer, which targeted some of the warez rings (again: amateur warez traders, not bootleggers!) and handed out jail sentences of 18 to 46 months. That's almost four years for non-commercial warez trading.
The "you have to sell it for it to be criminal infringement" is one of those Slashdot memes that will never go away (your post is indeed already 4, informative when it's quite simply incorrect, while this correction will likely languish at 2 or lower). We'll continue to tell each other this, and we'll want it to be true. But the fact remains that Gonzalez and the rest did the jail time. Microsoft will actually be doing a disservice to teens if they don't explain the hard realities of copyright law.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The claim is that copying will get you arrested.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The Gospel According To Bill... (Score:5, Insightful)
I have no problems at all with educating kids on copyright law (at about the same time that other civics classes are taught), but this just reeks of propaganda.
Re:The Gospel According To Bill... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The Gospel According To Bill... (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
"When I grow up I want to go to Bovine University!".
Re: (Score:2)
Somehow I don't quite see that happening. I sincerely doubt that they even get around to mentioning "fair use" (save a quick mention in passing), let alone "fair play".
Re: (Score:2)
Re:The Gospel According To Bill... (Score:5, Informative)
Microsoft does not claim ownership of the materials you provide to Microsoft (including feedback and suggestions) or post, upload, input or submit to any Services or its associated services for review by the general public, or by the members of any public or private community, (each a "Submission" and collectively "Submissions"). However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting ("Posting") your Submission you are granting Microsoft, its affiliated companies and necessary sublicensees permission to use your Submission in connection with the operation of their Internet businesses (including, without limitation, all Microsoft Services), including, without limitation, the license rights to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat your Submission; to publish your name in connection with your Submission; and the right to sublicense such rights to any supplier of the Services.
No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of your Submission, as provided herein. Microsoft is under no obligation to post or use any Submission you may provide and Microsoft may remove any Submission at any time in its sole discretion.
Parent
No "Abstinence-only" education (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:The Gospel According To Bill... (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
No dark sarcasm in the classroom ... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
It will backfire (Score:2)
What they should do is try to give value to purchasing a right to use, not just trying to scare kids.
Pot, kettle, black! (Score:3, Informative)
I wanna be copyright! (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Then I went to MyBytes.
You were serious.
I... don't know what to say.
"Preserve our business model OR ELSE" 101 (Score:5, Insightful)
And it came to pass that there was wailing and gnashing of teeth while Microsoft made billions upon billions of dollars and a monopoly was built.
And it came to pass that while open source and free software was never really gone, but it has regained popularity as much of the afore mentioned wailing and gnashing goes on. And as open source and industries using it gained popularity, there were flying chairs as well.
There are other ways to get your computers to deliver the results you want and it doesn't have to cost any money. Microsoft doesn't want anyone to know that so they'll frighten kids with fire and brimstone to protect their business model. Brilliant! But should Microsoft be teaching religion in schools? What they SHOULD be teaching is their programmers to write safe and secure code.
Re:"Preserve our business model OR ELSE" 101 (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, what would the Bible be without the Devil...
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
No it's based around Unix systems, which were around before Microsoft - and it's what large parts of Windows is based on as well
There was already a large community based around a common system with a common API before Microsoft and their still is
Doing things to escape punishment (Score:2)
Meanwhile, in other news ... (Score:2)
User Poll (Score:5, Informative)
Zero
One or two
Three to seven
As many as I like; I own it.
The alternatives... (Score:2)
Unfortunately, as a true slashdotter I am single with no kids, but if it were one of my kids that were being put through this indoctrination, I will give them a quick overview of the creative commons license and suggest that they applied it to all their uploaded content. Wouldn't that be interesting!
and so... (Score:2)
Years later, when every copy of every commercial product is dutifully paid for, more people than ever will be clamoring for alternatives to the expensive world of vendor-dictated pricing, feature and upgrade schedules.
And so, this generation will adopt FO
Re: (Score:2)
Not in public schools, please (Score:5, Interesting)
And screw them all:
1) I not only make digital copies of software media, but I will happily provide a replacement to friends, family, or customers who lose theirs. Why? Because its the PRODUCT KEY which makes the magic, NOT the CD.
1a) I am sensitive, however, to certain products which just require media from a previous version to qualify for an upgrade. I do not just "hand out" copies; you have to prove to me that you legitimately own the product. And I am quite fond of saying "NO."
2) I make copies of my CDs in VBR MP3 format for use on my portable devices and home computers.
3) I rip and convert my DVDs for use on my portable devices.
Oh, and I do not always put caps back on pens, fold or hang my laundry, and every once in a while I also use the last of the toilet paper without replacing it.
I also do not use a single bit of pirated or unpaid software (I would say "unregistered," but there are a few free packages like RealPlayer I refuse to register due to spam issues.) No, really. But sometimes I wish I did, as it seems the pirates have fewer hurdles through which to jump and are able to spend more time enjoying software than dealing with licensing issues.
Irony (Score:2, Interesting)
Had MS not been the required platform for gaming through the 90s, users would have been less likely to become familiar and congregate around it. Since home users constantly needed the new whiz-bang DirectX or 32-bit OS
Do they tell you how to work the OEM / CAL / coa / (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm all for it (Score:5, Funny)
That's why I downloaded it over bittorrent, made fifty copies and am selling the curriculum to other teachers for $50 a copy (digital). I'm so glad that Microsoft has found a way for me to make some money.
Thank you MS. You guys are the greatest!
guaranteed to increase infringement (Score:4, Insightful)
When a grown-up told you that something was naughty what was the first thing you did when their back was turned?
Exactly. Expect copyright infringement to grow exponentially as a direct result of this MS program.
Yeah, it could happen! (Score:3, Insightful)
These are the same teens who are having unprotected sex, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, driving cars at unsafe speeds, and continuing to indulge in drugs. Maybe if we told them about the consequences of those behaviours, they'd stop doing them as well.
Makes sense (Score:4, Insightful)
Jail time? Yes great plan (Score:4, Insightful)
So...
1. Educate youth with FUD
2.
3. Profit!
I have an idea. How about a fast OS you WANT to pay for?
Silly Microsoft, tricks are for kids.... (Score:4, Interesting)
The survey link results from the information week article is broken. The URL leads to:
We're sorry, but we were unable to service your request. You may wish to choose from the links below for information about Microsoft products and services.
So we don't even get to read the sampling/demographics on the kids they surveyed.
Nevertheless, Microsoft wants to correct teens' woeful ignorance. To do so, it has turned to Topics Education, a developer of custom curricula, to create a curriculum called "Intellectual Property Rights Education" for middle school and high school teachers. The Microsoft-sponsored curriculum consists of Web-based resources and case-study driven lesson plans that aim to engage students about intellectual property issues.
I will sue my local school district and Microsoft if they don't offer a counter curriculum called "Fair Use" and "Public domain". This course needs to teach kids about past copying abuses by Microsoft and how they used their Monopoly money to pay for the court sealed settlements that people are not allowed to read.
To support its teachings, Microsoft has launched MyBytes, a Web site where students can create custom ringtones, share content -- "their own content," as Microsoft makes clear -- and learn more about intellectual property rights.
To support my teachings to my kids on property rights, I've installed x/k/Ubuntu on all the computers in the house. They can create, share, sell, and distribute anything they what. They can even pass out Linux CDs to all their friends (they have). I teach my kids its OK to grab an MP3 off the main home server and play it on your MP3 player. Its not OK for them to give that MP3 away to their friends. I teach my kids the difference between ownership and free speech/ownership restrictive EULAs.
In August 2006, the site was shuttered and this explanation was subsequently posted: "Despite the significant progress we made on addressing the concerns raised about the original Captain Copyright initiative, as well as the positive feedback and requests for literally hundreds of lesson kits from teachers and librarians, we have come to the conclusion that the current climate around copyright issues will not allow a project like this one to be successful."
Here we go again, Microsofts favorite defender Captain Copyright. I forget what Captain Copyright said about Kerberos authentication. I also forget about what Captain Copyright did to the evil villains who were pillaging STAC. The DrDOS People counted on Captain Copyright but he didn't show up to defend them. What did Captain Copyright say again to the people who built their own computers without Windows? Oh Yeah, were thief's for not installing Windows.
If Microsoft would just worry about writing good programs for computers (Apple/Linux/ARM/Palm/Whatever) and stop trying to be the cyber police I might look at their products again (!Not. BSD/Linux is much faster and less maintenance). Until then Microsoft is still just a marketing company which happens to make an O/S for PCs.
My opinion (my animosity towards Microsoft does not equate to animosity for people who use Microsoft products),
Enjoy.
Subvert it (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Someday Microsoft's customer base (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Seems the education campaigns are already working.
You just made me laugh. (Score:5, Insightful)
See, that's the difference between the sheeple and informed people. You really don't know it's wrong. You've just been educated to think it's wrong.
As for me, I know that copying music is illegal in some countries, but I know it's NOT wrong - specially if the RIAA engages in monopolistic behavior.
Reality isn't black and white, my friend. And it doesn't have shades of gray either, that would be thinking in 1-D. Reality comes in COLORS. Some nice, some ugly. And there are many viewpoints.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Seriously. If you know which countries actually arrest people for "copying music", I'd like to hear it.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The USA [sohh.com].
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You really don't know it's wrong.
Would you be more comfortable with "Copying music feels wrong"? Artists deserve to be compensated for their work. I agree that illegally copying music isn't always immoral, but you'd have to be pretty convincing to persuade me that it's never immoral - If you're telling yourself that stealing music is part of your personal stand against the RIAA, I think that you're probably deluding yourself. Hopefully you at least endorse your bands of choice through concerts or merchandising if you refuse to pay for
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Giving a license != giving ownership.