ONCE upon a time, Boy Scouts dreamed of earning armfuls of badges for such wholesome activities as camping, tying knots and learning to use a shotgun. But in Los Angeles, the capital of the entertainment industry, young Scouts will soon be able to earn their patches by evangelising about the evils of copyright piracy and turning in their friends and family for offending.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which represents leading film studios, has teamed up with the Boy Scouts of America in Los Angeles to teach respect for copyright. The aim is to recoup some of the $20 billion (£10.6bn) the US economy is estimated to lose to pirates.

In exchange for learning about the evils of downloading pirated movies and music, Scouts will be awarded an activity patch depicting a film reel, a music CD and the international copyright symbol, a “c” enclosed in a circle.

The 52,000 Scouts in Los Angeles will not be required to act as spies to earn their badge, although snitching is not discouraged. Instead, to complete the programme, they must play video games, watch movies and play their favourite songs for their Scout leaders, then list all the people who worked to produce them and how they would be affected if the work was pirated.

Then they must demonstrate their knowledge of copyright law and why it matters. An elective element allows them to choose from options such as visiting a movie studio or performing a skit that highlights the importance of copyright.

Many Scouts in the city come from families who work in the entertainment industry, which leaders hope will make them sympathetic to the cause. But the organisation hopes that the pilot programme may spread nationwide — even if it is not quite so easy for kids in states such as Georgia or Missouri to visit a movie studio.

Dan Glickman, chairman of MPAA, said that it made sense to work with the Scouts because most piracy is committed by 16 to 24-year-old males. “The truth is so many kids today are savvy with computers and internet technology and can download anything,” he said.

Students at Hollywood High School, in the heart of studio-land, had mixed reactions. “I think it’s a good idea,” Luis Gonzales, a second-year student, whose father works at a nearby studio, said. “It’s people like my dad who lose out if the studios don’t make back the money they’re supposed to.”

Others questioned whether the effort was realistic. “Kids know it’s wrong but what they gonna do?” Chris, a junior, said.

An independent study last year estimated that MPAA studios lose more than $6.1 billion in revenues to piracy every year. The total annual cost to the US economy is put at $20.6 billion. Hollywood’s Boy Scouts have their work cut out.

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