How To Address A Visit from MPAA Senior VP Rich Taylor?

tedswiss writes "Fate has dropped a unique opportunity upon my lap: I teach at a moderately small independent school who has as one of its alums Richard Taylor. Mr. Taylor is both speaking at our start-of-year festivities and being honored with this year's "Distinguished Alum Award." Having followed and been disgusted by the MPAA's corporate practices regarding DRM and government lobbying in the past (Anyone remember DeCSS?), I would love to make his visit a chance to truly educate our student body, not just indoctrinate them. The school administration is sympathetic to my plight, but I want to present them with more than just my complaints. How would you best make use of this opportunity if you found yourself in my shoes?"

Re:Teamwork

[FuzzyDaddy]

I disagree. I think this is a good opportunity to make a point. No, the MPAA isn't going to change, but you're at a school, and educating the students by getting them to think about things they might not otherwise is a good thing to do.

I don't have specific ideas about what to do, but I have some advice on what NOT to do. Don't attempt to harass, trap, or otherwise embarass this guy. Be civil. Your goal here is to get people thinking, not to attack this particular person. Likewise, your goal isn't to express your anger or disgust - it's to educate the student body about the very real and sometimes subtle issues. Handouts? Teach-ins? Big signs and pamphlets? Parody films? It depends on your target audience, venue, etc.

But do something!

Re:Hmmm.

[MrSteveSD]

Very good point. For example, you may remember a popular Sci-Fi Series called Babylon 5. J. Michael Straczynski absolutely killed himself making it, writing entire seasons by himself. It was a very successful show and has made a huge amount of money in DVD sales. Yet Warner Bros have done some amazing Hollywood accounting with it and have managed to make it all look in debt, so no-one gets a dime.

So you could ask, "Piracy may effect the money made by hard working writers and actors, but do you think your members should perhaps set an example by not stealing from them through Hollywood Accounting trickery?"

Re:Teamwork

[belmolis]

No, he's talking about copyright in the United States. You are right about the history of copyright in England, but the US Constitution is explicit in authorizing both copyrights and patents for the purpose of the advancement of knowledge (Article 1, Section 8, Paragraph 8):

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries

Re:Hmmm.

[mwvdlee]

You COULD try to attack based on past MPAA mistakes, but in all likelyhood he can deny his hand in those and at the very best it'll just be an ad hominem attack that does nothing to disprove the MPAA's claims.

You've gotta ask yourself what you want out of this. Is it your goal to convince mr. Taylor or is it your goal to convince the students. With the right questions it's very possible to let mr. Taylor leave feeling he won whilst in fact having demonstrated to the students how wrong the MPAA is.

Ask him to explain to the students what "Fair use" is, and what is allowed by Fair use.

Next, ask him to explain how having DRM is more consumer friendly than not having DRM.

Make sure you've studied the subjects beforehand so you can correct him. Don't attack the MPAA, just state facts and numbers to undermine the claims. Also try and catch any logical fallacies and make sure to label them.

Re:Ask him if he stole his car.

[Anonymous Coward]

If you were commenting on the GP, do realize that they probably weren't making a serious suggestion, but rather a joke playing on the unskippable anti-piracy ads you find on DVDs and the like(You wouldn't steal a car...).

I thought it was pretty funny, and I doubt it was meant as anything other than a Slashdot ha-ha-only-serious joke. You can't really blame the teller of the joke for the fact that you would look like an asshole if you were to act it out in public.

Re:With such a visit

[rasputin465]

(yes)