Easily digestible tech news... http://www.techdirt.com/ en-us http://www.techdirt.com/images/td-88x31.gifhttp://www.techdirt.com/ Fri, 22 Jun 2012 13:03:00 PDT Mike Masnick http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120619/03595519382/why-do-copyright-maximalists-think-that-lame-education-campaigns-will-brainwash-children.shtml http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120619/03595519382/why-do-copyright-maximalists-think-that-lame-education-campaigns-will-brainwash-children.shtml always high on propaganda and short on facts. They rarely include full or clear explanations of things like fair use, or the true intention of copyright (benefiting the public). The latest such attempt is happening in France, where three-strikes agency Hadopi is proposing a propaganda campaign at a big kids' event called "Kidexpo." Numerama, who got its hands on some details of the plan, explained that the goal is to "raise awareness" of issues related to copyright and creativity.

But, here's the thing: all of these programs seem to assume, falsely, that kids are complete idiots who can have basic common sense brainwashed out of them. That's not the case. As we've seen for the better part of a decade, kids who attend these "sessions" know a lot better than the people teaching them just how ridiculous they come off, and don't take them very seriously. No matter how many times this strategy fails, however, some clueless adult decides that kids can be brainwashed if they just try again. It's even better when they include silly mascots.

While it's amusing sometimes to watch the maximalists flail around like this, you have to wonder if they'll ever recognize that kids aren't stupid, and pushing obvious propaganda to them doesn't make them unable to understand how technology works.

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]]> doesn't-make-any-sense http://www.techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20120619/03595519382 Fri, 9 Jan 2009 10:08:00 PST Mike Masnick http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090108/1724263341.shtml http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090108/1724263341.shtml Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), is trying to trademark the phrase "Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness" and appears to be threatening other charities for using the phrase, and (according to this petition) has filed complaints to get fundraising stores shut down for using the phrase. The whole thing is so bizarre, and so far outside the purpose of trademark law that it's really difficult to understand how this issue could have gone as far as it has. But, you have to say one thing for the charity doing this: they have "raised awareness" of CDH.

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