FAST brainwashing for UK kids
p2p news / p2pnet: Yet another corporate ‘trade’ entity is penetrating schools to carry spurious ‘education’ messages. And it’s doing so with the full approval and cooperation of the British government.
In the US, the BSA (Business Software Alliance), RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and similar industry operated groups routinely send ‘advisors’ into classrooms to literally brainwash children with corporate propaganda designed to turn them into good little consumers.
And these organizations do so with the active help of administrations and staffs who’ve been persuaded that IP (intellectual property) laws should be the concern of teaching institutions, up there with the three Rs.
In Hong Kong, things have gone so far that IP merit badges for scouts have been introduced.
Now the UK group FAST (Federation Against Software Theft) is, “targeting primary and secondary schools for the first time with a campaign to promote the legal use of software,” says vnunet.
The “initiative” aims to, “promote awareness of the legal ramifications of software misuse as well as taking enforcement action against infringements,” says the story.
“We need to get to the seven to 14-year-olds,” the story has FAST’s John Lovelock saying.
“If organisations in the education sector are building new systems on the back of ones using illegal software, they really are putting their schools at risk. Complacency has to stop, software theft is not a victimless crime and we will take action against infringers.”
The UK government has given FAST, “the tools to support its campaign with the Copyright, etc. and Trade Marks (Offences and Enforcement) Act 2002 which increased penalties for certain copyright offences from two years to 10 years and strengthened search warrant provisions,” venuet has Lovelock saying, adding:
“We’re putting schools on notice that they’re in the same position as businesses who are liable for what staff do on equipment during a working day,.
“The message is clear – if head teachers, school governors and even LEA’s allow the use of illegal software then it may be fast track to a criminal record.”
Will FAST soon be launching a scheme similar to the BSA’s under which a weasel-like creature called a “copyright crusader” is used to get at children?
Also See:
brainwash children – They’re brainwashing YOUR child, July 4, 2005
IP merit badges – MPAA IP scout badge farce, April 25, 2006
vnunet – Schools targeted with anti-piracy message, May 23, 2006
weasel-like creature – Web inventor warns of ‘dark’ net, May 12, 2006
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May 24th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
“How are you going to have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat ?!?!”
Remember kids, if you suspect your teacher, your friends, or even your family members of any IP crimes, even a little, make sure you turn them in. If they are innocent (which is almost never the case) we’ll get it sorted out. If they are guilty, we’ll just send them on a little “vacation” to the re-education camps and set them right as rain.
And don’t worry about all that hogwash you hear about people never coming back from the camps, or returning crippled, blind, deranged, and whatnot. That almost never happens…
“If you take care of the Party, the Party will take care of you.” ™
May 25th, 2006 at 12:12 am
I would advise all places of learning to dump all proprietary software and change to Linux instead. Not only would this be a huge monetary saving, but it’s also obviously a fantastic teaching tool. I’m amazed that they don’t do this already. Stop telling the kids ‘what not to do’ for a change and introduce them to more rewarding, more secure ways of computing.
May 25th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
In South of England this is starting to happen in big way. Things are changing!