Loyal, helpful and respectful of copyright

LOS ANGELES — Boy Scouts can earn badges for carving wood, raising rabbits and firing shotguns.

But in Los Angeles, Scouts will now be able to earn their stripes by proselytizing about the evils of copyright piracy.

Officials with the Los Angeles Boy Scouts and the Motion Picture Association of America have introduced the "Respect Copyrights Activity Patch," emblazoned with a large circle "C" copyright sign along with a film reel and musical notes.

All 52,000 Scouts in Los Angeles County can earn the patch by participating in a curriculum produced by the MPAA.

The Scouts must participate in several activities, including creating video public-service announcements and visiting a video-sharing Web site to identify which materials are copyrighted. They also can watch a movie and discuss how people behind the scenes would be harmed if the film were pirated.

But will the patch be a badge of honor or of un-coolness?

Richie Farbman, 13, is eager to warn others about the dangers of illegal downloading while also adding to his more than 20 activity badges.

"I think it's really good to get the message out that it's bad," said the Redondo Beach Scout. "You can see your friends doing it and tell them why it's bad. I think if you're a role model, you can stop people."

But Farbman said he knows his perspective is not shared by many classmates. "A lot of people don't think they're going to get in trouble, so they do it anyway," he said.

Other teens think Farbman and his Scouting buddies face an uphill battle.

"Everyone knows it's illegal already, but they do it anyway," said Kevin Tran, a senior at Taft High School in Woodland Hills. "They can't afford to buy CDs and DVDs, and they see it there for free, so why not do it?"

Officials at the Boy Scouts of America, Los Angeles Area Council, said that they approached the MPAA about the idea nine months ago and that the entertainment-industry lobbying group did not make any financial donations to secure the badge program.

The inspiration came from Hong Kong, where the local Boy Scouts organization had its members pledge not to use or buy pirated materials. In addition, the Scouts agreed to search Internet file-sharing sites and turn in those they see violating the laws.

The move raised concerns from civil libertarians, who worried the group was creating thousands of young spies to snitch on copyright abusers.

Victor Zuniga, a spokesman for the Scouts' Los Angeles Area Council, said his group decided on a less aggressive approach in which the Scouts won't be asked to police the Internet for pirates.

"That was more about policing," Zuniga said, adding the badge likely would be offered elsewhere if it's successful in Los Angeles. "Our program is educational."