[Reader-list] A curriculum to teach kids about copyright and fair use

[Chintan Girish Modi]

>From http://www.teachingcopyright.org/
There's a lot of misinformation out there about legal rights and
responsibilities in the digital era.

This is especially disconcerting when it comes to information being shared
with youth. Kids and teens are bombarded with messages from a myriad of
sources that using new technology is high-risk behavior. Downloading music
is compared to stealing a bicycle — even though many downloads are lawful.
Making videos using short clips from other sources is treated as probably
illegal — even though many such videos are also lawful.

This misinformation is harmful, because it discourages kids and teens from
following their natural inclination to be innovative and inquisitive. The
innovators, artists and voters of tomorrow need to know that copyright law
restricts many activities but also permits many others. And they need to
know the positive steps they can take to protect themselves in the digital
sphere. In short, youth don't need more *intimidation* — what they need is
solid, accurate *information*.
EFF's Teaching Copyright curriculum was created to help teachers present the
laws surrounding digital rights in a balanced way.

Teaching Copyright provides lessons and ideas for opening your classroom up
to discussion, letting your students express their ideas and concerns, and
then guiding your students toward an understanding of the boundaries of
copyright law.


(Source: http://blog.prathambooks.org/)