by Rebecca Trela -
The Beastie Boys are planning a concert featuring hip-hop and rock artists Outkast and Linkin Park. Of course, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and some intellectual property felons should be there, too. The guys just have to decide whether to hold it on the National Mall or at the MCI Center.
Washington, D.C. - Scripps Howard Foundation Wire - If Ashcroft at a concert sounds like every teenager's worst nightmare, think again. At the Department of Justice on Wednesday, Washington-area teens brainstormed for ways to raise awareness about intellectual property theft. Holding a concert was an idea from the focus group assigned to the "Beastie Boys" table.
The Justice Department's educational outreach forum, which included more than 100 high school students, is the beginning of an initiative to educate the public about intellectual property theft, based on the DOJ's Task Force on Intellectual Property report released last week.
"It's not just entertainment," said Henry Schleiff, chief executive officer of CourtTV, which organized the event. "It is very much that when intellectual property is stolen, this endangers our international and economic security."
Teenagers are seen as by far the largest and most savvy downloading group, acquiring and trading music, movies, computer games and software. Government officials confronted the students with a convicted intellectual property thief and two singer-songwriters, hoping to impress them with statements about the economy and job loss.
The Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America were involved as well. Both groups allege that illegal downloading costs the intellectual property industry $250 billion - $300 billion annually, an approximation the DOJ supports.
"Stealing intellectual property puts at risk the lives and livelihoods of a good many people," Ashcroft said. "If these industries are undermined by intellectual property theft, these jobs may not be there for the next generation of workers."
The RIAA has taken legal action against student downloaders. Additionally, the House approved a bill in September to toughen prosecution of file-swappers, especially those who circulate 1,000 or more songs every six months, with up to three years in jail. The Senate has not acted on the bill.
A March survey by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Harvard Business School noted, however, "downloads have an effect on [album] sales which is statistically indistinguishable from zero."
Because there is no consensus on the topic, many worry that the government is too involved with an industry-specific battle.
"I think you would be as disturbed if someone were to steal your poetry as you would if someone were to steal your car," said Ashcroft, asking students to view the downloading from others' perspectives.
"I enjoyed what Ashcroft was telling us," said Brigette Grayson, 17, a senior at Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Md. Grayson said she buys her music at Coconuts and that her mom helps her out. None of the students interviewed admitted to downloading any music.
Following the presentation, students met in small groups to make recommendations to the DOJ about 2005 outreach campaigns. The recommendations came in the form of creative expression, including a rap song, a TV commercial, a poster and a news release.
"One of the best ways to get people to stop downloading music illegally is to talk about the consequences," said Wes Fite, 17, a senior at Hayfield High School in Fairfax County, Va. "I don't think that the argument about how the artists are going to starve is going to work with teens."
For the most part, the students were positive about the DOJ's efforts. Many of them approved the idea of buying music from online music sites, such as Apple iTunes or Walmart.com, and said a parent's credit card was usually available for online purchases.
The students were most impressed by Mike Ngyuyen, a convicted file-swapping felon from Los Angeles who escaped a five-year jail sentence by doing educational outreach.
Ashcroft's reviews were more mixed.
"I think it's good to keep the DOJ people in there," added Mike Lindberg, 17, a Hayfield senior. "At least they're trying to be cool."
Source: Kansas City InfoZine
