Patent official warns kids against piracy

You're never too young to start learning about intellectual property law--or that's the message the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office sent to a pack of elementary schoolers on Tuesday.

"It is important that people--especially children--show respect for others' property," U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Stephen Pinkos told more than 80 students in Round Rock, Texas, according to a press release.

"That includes not illegally copying and downloading video games and movies from the Internet," he went on. "This is not okay--it's breaking the law."

Pinkos made the stop as part of a two-day campaign in nearby Austin, Texas, where government officials have been urging small business owners to protect their intellectual property. The students were taking part in a weeklong USPTO-sponsored program known as Camp Invention, which includes sessions on building gadgets and applying for patents.