Do We Really Need This Stupid Merit Badge?

[mcs328]

http://wtop.com/?nid=104&sid=949731

Be Loyal, Kind and Don't Steal Movies
Oct 20th - 11:59am

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Boy Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, etc., etc. He is also respectful of copyrights.

Boy Scouts in the Los Angeles area will now be able to earn a merit patch for learning about the evils of downloading pirated movies and music.

The patch shows a film reel, a music CD and the international copyright symbol, a "C" enclosed in a circle.

The movie industry has developed the curriculum.

"Working with the Boy Scouts of Los Angeles, we have a real opportunity to educate a new generation about how movies are made, why they are valuable, and hopefully change attitudes about intellectual property theft," Dan Glickman, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, said in a statement Friday.

Scouts will be instructed in the basics of copyright law and learn how to identify five types of copyrighted works and three ways copyrighted materials may be stolen.

Scouts also must choose one activity from a list that includes visiting a movie studio to see how many people can be harmed by film piracy. They also can create public service announcements urging others not to steal movies or music.

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[BigJon]

God...so stupid. I wish they had this merit badge when I was in scouts. I would have earned it (would have been easier than basket weaving) and then laughed at it every time I downloaded a CD off the web.

Did I just say that out loud?

[brainsmile]

Do they have a dork badge?

[johnnymk]

Teaching kids how to be politically correct citizens.

[MrGreg]

Do they have a dork badge?

Aren't they all, really?*





*I was a boy scout.

[Showtime]

Do they have a dork badge?

Yeah, they do. It's has a picture of a pudgy yellow bear.

[bachviet]

Now that is just stoopid.

[Thesifer]

ugh..

And this would be why I dropped out of the "Scouts" .. Well that and the whole "God" thing

[LPMiller]

Teaching kids how to be politically correct citizens.

well, the whole point of the scouts is conforming. I was in the scouts. Hated it. I'm not saying it doesn't have good points, but they don't care for outside the box thinking.

[Cheesypuff]

I bet the boy scouts (before making this badge) got a huge donation from the mpaa

[Airencracken]

I think the bigger question is "Do we really need this stupid organization?"

[ray]

I think the bigger question is "Do we really need this stupid organization?"

Who else is going to address all the issues with the DMCA?!?!?!

[blueindian]

i don't really see an issue with it, it's not a PC issue, it's a theft issue. downloading software,music,movies, etc without paying for them is the moral equlivant of stealing a car or burglerizing a house. since part of the boyscouts deal is to teach honesty and soforth, i'm not really supprised to see this.

but yeah, screw the boyscouts.

[KIISQueen]

WTF!! Don't they have any thing else to come up with. Lordy!!!!

[Houdini]

Do they have a dork badge?

[Paymaster]

I dunno... I know an adult with a college degree who claimed that his mp3 collection was "legal" because he downloaded it "before napster was outlawed". I have listened to a couple in a grocery store debating whether it was really illegal to download movies and music or not (and they weren't discussing the idea of dowloading media that you own, they were just being totally ignorant).

So yeah, not a fan of the MPAA here, but I do have to admit, that there is a fair amount of ignorance out there. Kids see other kids do it, and they see their *parents* do it, so yeah, they are not going to have any idea that it is illegal unless someone actually spells it out for them.

[welfareloser]

Kids see other kids do it, and they see their *parents* do it, so yeah, they are not going to have any idea that it is illegal unless someone actually spells it out for them.

all fine and good, but i wouldn't want anyone giving my kid a merit badge for it. it's a propaganda tool in this case ("here's a nifty way to pound a message into their heads!") instead of an actual award for an accomplishment.

another reason he's not joining boy scouts.

[Prngr44]

I don't think it's anything you need to be yanking your kids from Boy Scouts about, but I agree it smells of propaganda.

It's not like they're forcing every single member to complete this merit badge (of the more than 100 to choose from.)

The benefits of Scouts far outweigh the few detractions like this.

[Jeffbx]

I dunno, just the fact that they allowed themselves to be bought like that makes the organization suspect to me.

What's next, the "Be sure to brush with Crest© twice a day" badge?

[Houdini]

all fine and good, but i wouldn't want anyone giving my kid a merit badge for it. it's a propaganda tool in this case ("here's a nifty way to pound a message into their heads!") instead of an actual award for an accomplishment.

another reason he's not joining boy scouts.

Heh. It isn't really useful, like the classics such as archery, orienteering, woodworking, etc. Sounds like pure propaganda to me. Likely less about "how movies are made" and more about "their value." If they encouraged people to use old 8mm or 16mm film cameras or something, that would be cool.

[Prngr44]

Heh. It isn't really useful, like the classics such as archery, orienteering, woodworking, etc. Sounds like pure propaganda to me. Likely less about "how movies are made" and more about "their value." If they encouraged people to use old 8mm or 16mm film cameras or something, that would be cool.

I could have sworn they had a badge like that in the past... actually I'm almost certain. Cinematography.

[InfiniteNothing]

I dunno, just the fact that they allowed themselves to be bought like that makes the organization suspect to me.

What's next, the "Be sure to brush with Crest© twice a day" badge?

"Lego® Structural Designer" badge

[Houdini]

I could have sworn they had a badge like that in the past... actually I'm almost certain. Cinematography.

Ah yes...I think I remember that one too. Though it may be outdated with the advent of personal video stuff instead of film stuff.

Still, adding a little to that badge would make more sense than creating another stupid one to "have a real opportunity to educate a new generation about how movies are made, why they are valuable, and hopefully change attitudes about intellectual property theft..."