The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), together with major Internet providers, will launch an educational project in US schools to teach children about the dangers of piracy. this on September 23 . reported The Wired

The main goal of the project is to explain to children that downloading pirated music and movies on the Internet is a form of theft. As stated in the anti-piracy program for sixth grade teachers, children should be told that copyright infringement on the Internet may not be as noticeable as, for example, cheating on an exam, but it is also a serious and punishable offense.

“When you grow up and begin, for example, to sell your photographs via the Internet, you are unlikely to want everyone who wants to copy your pictures without permission,” says the program of “anti-piracy” lessons developed by the copyright holders.

Each unit will consist of a short video covering a particular aspect of piracy and a teacher's guide to guide class discussion. According to The Wired, materials on the basics of copyright are primarily aimed at the youngest students. As an experiment, the program will be launched in elementary schools in California by the end of 2013.

The MPAA's proposed program is not the first example of copyright holders seeking to combat piracy through educational initiatives. In 2009, the record company EMI organized “anti-piracy” lessons in primary schools in British schools on illegal copying of music. The lessons were then harshly criticized by the UK parliamentary opposition, which accused EMI of using children to further its own corporate and financial interests.

Copyright holders will tell American schoolchildren about the dangers of piracy