Yesterday I helped my 8 year old son submit a response (PDF) to the EU Commission's consultation on whether it is a good idea to require permission/payment for the right to photographs buildings and statues in public spaces (aka Freedom of Panorama). Our kids had heard about this issue from a discussion on a dinner table, and quickly became interested:

What is EU? (My son, who is the older sibling, did know what Europe was, once I spelled it out.) Why can't I take photos outside? Can I take a photo of this book? (By extending the same logic, no you wouldn't...)

I've obviously helped by translating the questions and answers. One part that was hard to explain was that this isn't a vote, merely a consultation where he can share his opinion. But surely if a majority of responses oppose this proposal, they will decide accordingly? Err, no... That part was rather hard to explain, and soon I realized I'm explaining the concept of corruption to my 8-year-old...

My son has standing in copyright issues not just as a citizen of the EU, but also as the creator of several videos he published on Youtube.