Children are being asked to make little propaganda movies to educate themselves about how wrong is the PIRACY of movies and music. From the Australian:

Children to produce content for copyright infringement

THE industry body charged with fighting film and television piracy will ask schoolchildren to make their own films in a marketing push that aims to teach a new generation the importance of not infringing copyright.

An innovative marketing campaign that capitalises on the rise of user-generated content will be launched in primary and secondary schools this month in a bid to instil in children an understanding of how making or downloading pirate copies of film and television works damages the industry.

The campaign, created by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, follows the dawning recognition that the battle to protect copyright has been all but lost among older teenagers and young adults, many of whom are used to downloading music free of charge over the internet.

(rest here by Lara Sinclair)

Wonder how the teachers will answer the questions:

• But if I bought the movie once and it broke, why can’t I just download it?
• But why are movies regionalised when my parents move countries a lot?
• But I only want to use part of the movie for a funny mashup?
• But the movie is rubbish, why can’t I swap it for another one?
• I bought the DVD but I want to watch the movie on my Playstation Portable, I asked my Mum to purchase it again (it’s $90 on the PSP) but she just laughed. She thought I was joking.

And my personal favourite:

My brother downloaded Shrek III last night – how do I dob him in, and will the police come in a police car with sirens blaring!

There’s a kid next door that plays his – I’m sure pirated – music real loud. I’ll fix his little red wagon. (foto: flick.com/libar)

MacDonalds are now pitching to have the children create propaganda movies on good nutrition and appropriate exercise. Kevin Rudd is asking them to make propaganda movies on How The Labor Party is Saving Australia. Wow, we could fund the whole schooling system on a Kids Advertising To Their Peers model o.O

Oh – no I wouldn’t blink at kids making little movies about stranger danger or how to read. But reinforcing the capitalist requirements of money hungry music and movie makers that don’t even pass the money onto the artistes? I don’t think so. If I had a kid I’d tell a) don’t make it or b) make what you really think or c) make it about something important.

Then again, knowing how kids always take the opposite view of their parents he or she would probably end up being a crusader for capitalist rights , and damn the artiste and let’s block creativity as it is disruptive and … *rolls eyes*