Can you explain your rights?
This was interesting today.
Half of 1,000 Americans randomly surveyed by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum could name at least two of the five members of Fox Television's Simpson family, the stars of the network's long-running show.But just 28 percent of respondents could name more than one of the five freedoms listed in the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment -- about the same proportion that could name all five Simpson family members or could recall the three judges on Fox TV's top-rated "American Idol."
Just 8 percent could recall three First Amendment freedoms.
Two-thirds of respondents did remember freedom of speech as one of five rights in the First Amendment, but just one person accurately named all five.
If only two-thirds of the population understand that they have rights to "free speech" - then how many are going to understand the complexities of the arguments against DRM? the postive side of P2P filesharing? why open-source software might be useful? why the DMCA is bad? ... and any number of other issues that are either badly presented or dumbed down in media sources - if they get mentioned at all.
It's an uphill struggle - lets keep plodding on - the top of the mountain can't be far away.
Tags: sony drm dmca drm sony brand value