RIAA apologizes for threatening letter
By
Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
May 12, 2003, 3:16 PM PT
WASHINGTON–The Recording Industry Association of America apologized Monday to Penn State University for sending an incorrect legal notice of alleged Internet copyright violations.
The notice and subsequent apology appears to mark the first time that a faulty notification has been made public. The incident also shows just how easily automated programs that search for copyrighted material can be fooled, as well as how disruptive such notices can be on college campuses.
Last Thursday, the RIAA sent a stiff copyright warning to Penn State’s of astronomy and astrophysics. Department officials at first were puzzled, because the notification invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and alleged that one of its FTP sites was unlawfully distributing songs by the musician Usher. The letter demanded that the department “remove the site” and delete the infringing sound files.
Related Posts
- RIAA Letter to ISPs Asks for Help in Combating File-Sharing
- Leaked letter shows RIAA pressuring ISPs, planning discounts for early settlements
- Letter from Michigan Senator on P2P
- University Bans Direct Connect After RIAA Pressure
- Verizon to Forward Warnings from RIAA, MPAA

