This is an awesome little link I found at Tech Dirt. It includes information about why it’s wrong to share music online, brought to you by the RIAA. Some of it is meant to be used in schools. I think the RIAA has finally given up on the current generation of “songlifters” (new term they created) and are now out to win the hearts and minds of the youth. Start them early so they’ll be spending all their money on MP3s by the time they are teenagers.
What’s great about this is that it’s as dumb as all other school lessons. It’s made to look cool and hip, by someone who is completely out of touch with that generation. I think my favorite part is Activity Four: Make Your Own Music, where students are encouraged to write a song (about why “songlifting” is wrong) so that they may feel what it is like to create intellectual property that they wouldn’t want “lifted” from them. It also includes this: “Generate enthusiasm for this part by performing the rap verses on the worksheet (or have a student perform them).” I really want to know what these rap verses are, but I haven’t had any luck locating the “worksheet.”
The recording industry is really out of ideas it seems, all except for the most obvious ones: embrace new technology, reward the fans (don’t sue them), charge a fair price, and try new business models. What they don’t seem to understand is that kids these days are quite adept at all things technological. They know how to get music and that’s all they care about, especially considering that they don’t have much money beyond an allowance. Keep in mind that kids can’t download merchandise or tickets to concerts for free (not yet, anyway).