Knowing how to tie a stevedore's knot is cool and all, but the new hot patch for Los Angeles Boy Scouts is earned by learning respect for copyrights. The "Respect Copyrights Activity Patch" features a large "C" along with a film reel and a music CD, and all 52,000 Scouts in L.A. County can earn it by participating in several activities set forth by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Among the items in the curriculum are creating video public-service announcements, visiting a movie studio to see how many people may be harmed by film piracy, visiting a video-sharing website to identify which materials are copyrighted, and learning basic copyright law, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Working with the Boy Scouts of Los Angeles, we have a real opportunity to educate a new generation about how movies are made, why they are valuable and hopefully change attitudes about intellectual property theft," Dan Glickman, chairman of the MPAA, told the AP.

Talk: What would you do if a Boy Scout turned you in for file-sharing? COMMENT

On the Web:
scouting.org