Think schools are just scaring kids about drugs, sex and poor study habits these days? Now you can put illegal file trading on the list.

Sixth-graders in American Fork, Utah, will start their journey to middle school on Tuesday with a warning from the director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office about the ills of illegally downloading music, movies and games from the Web.

Director Jon Dudas is scheduled to deliver this year's commencement speech at Legacy Elementary School, situated in the suburbs south of Salt Lake City.

"Under Secretary Dudas will remind students that downloading and copying music, movies and video games without...the artists' or copyright holders' permission is an illegal activity," his agency said in a statement.

"Dudas will also talk to the children about the importance of intellectual property and describe the value of patents, copyrights and trademarks in our economy," the statement continued.

It could make for a long day for the kids, but the legal ramifications of illegal file trading are real. The Recording Industry Association of America has sued hundreds of children for copyright infringement related to music downloading.

SOURCE