BSA and the MPAA

[EagleInKY]

Leave it to Weird Al to bring out some humor on the topic. From his new CD:

 

http://www.dontdownloadthissong.com/

[ScoutNut]

"Maybe the Tobacco companies could teach us not to smoke."

 

Actually, as a consequence of the lawsuits against them, they do. The campaigns are aimed at youth.

 

[emb021]

"Leave it to Weird Al to bring out some humor on the topic."

 

Even better. Go to his myspace page and see the video for Don't Download This Song at www.myspace.com/weirdal

 

 

[Beavah]

Yah, I was mostly done with this thread, but I promised Fred I'd respond here to his comments in the Disobedience thread.

 

We had a thread here just recently about slide shows at Eagle Courts of Honor. All of the ones I've seen over da years have included commercial, copyrighted music. While I may be wrong, I'm willin' to bet that not a single troop or CO payed the fee required to include those recordings in a public performance. I bet they even "borrowed" da tunes from the collections of different kids and adults, eh?

 

Seems like a fair number of Scouters use recordings of commercial, copyrighted films as discussion items for learnin' leadership as part of Troop Leader Trainin'. That's an organizational use, not "private, home" use eh?

 

But we didn't see any cries of "Piracy!" "Stealing!" when these were discussed.

 

Fact is, some things are just societally "natural." Laws that get in the way of that don't serve the common good. Yah, sure, you can spend a lot of time and resources fightin' 'em, and sometimes that's necessary. But mostly, you begin by just goin' about your business and asserting your own liberty.

 

Yeh keep using music for Eagle slide shows, because darn it, it's a one-shot reasonable use, and it isn't worth spendin' 10 years of your life and resources tryin' to out-lobby the RIAA.

 

Yeh keep usin' a tape measure even though some nitwit managed to get a patent on tape measures, rather than spendin' $100K in court tryin' to get the patent tossed.

 

Not everyone can afford to be a civil rights attorney or lobbyist, eh? But that does not excuse us from makin' our own decision about the justice of rules, and our own decision about whether it is right to comply.

 

Wish I were with GE though. It'd be fun to try one of them licenses like those computer guys have. "In purchasing this GE lightbulb with proprietary filament technology, you agree that at no time shall it be used to provide more than two (2) people with useful light." What a great scam, eh?

 

[scoutingagain]

Well then...

 

We shall now ask those in attendance at COH's to play their legally obtained copy of "The Time of Your Life" by Green Day on thier individual MP3 or CD player at the appropriate time.

 

SA

[oldsm]

I believe that IF the people who have used copyrighted materials at their COH's, etc., have actually bought a license to use it (as in paid for a CD, or vinyl, or a download from iTunes, etc.), then using their copy for the COH is allowed under the doctrine of Fair Use. As long as they don't bundle it up and pass it along to other people.

 

Sort of like letting someone listen to your tunes on your iPod, or enjoy listening to music on the stereo in your house.

 

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, nor do I play on on any forum or TV show.

[FScouter]

new post ...

[fgoodwin]

ping

[ScoutingEMT]

Wow. I forgot how opinioniated folks on here are.

 

My concern is that this article has shown up in a few places where it is phrased as "the scouts are going to be policing piracy."

 

Great points, everyone!