The RIAA continues to intimidate the people it once referred to as “some its best customers” with word that it has launched round 11 of its crackdown on campus piracy nationwide.
This time 396 pre-litigation settlement letters were sent out to 22 universities as part of the ongoing campaign against online music theft.
As before, the RIAA is kind enough to allow students the opportunity to resolve copyright infringement claims against them at a discounted rate before a formal lawsuit is filed and bypass the legal process altogether. Each pre-litigation settlement letter informs the school of a forthcoming copyright infringement suit against one of its students or personnel. The letter requests that university administrators forward the letter to the appropriate network user to allow the individuals the opportunity to promptly resolve the matter and avoid having it heard before a judge a jury.
In the eleventh wave of this initiative, the RIAA this week sent letters in the following quantities to 22 schools including:
- Auburn University (13)
- Brandeis University (12)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (16)
- Gustavus Adolphus College (36)
- Indiana State University (18)
- Iowa State University (13)
- Ithaca College (15)
- Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (16)
- Louisiana Tech University (15)
- Mississippi State University (15)
- Morehead State University (17)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (12)
- University of Arizona (14)
- University of California, Davis (14)
- University of California, San Diego (17)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (24)
- University of Dayton (16)
- University of Massachusetts at Amherst (30)
- University of Rochester (15)
- University of Southern California (33)
- University of Washington (16)
- Western Kentucky University (19)
An interesting question that seems left out of the discussion is that are these rounds of lawsuits, or “settlements” as the RIAA calls them, really only a haphazard scheme that unfairly targets only those students who live on campus?
Off-campus students who are of course using an internet connection outside that of their campus network aren’t subject to the same sort of scrutiny by network administrators or RIAA hired guns, and in many cases comprise a majority of the student body. In essence, it comes down to a true minority of students who are the subject of these incessant “settlement” rounds by the RIAA and could serve to be another reason why music fans will boycott the RIAA and the purchase of physical CDs, the bread and butter of the record labels.
I mean isn’t it unreasonable for the RIAA to focus only on dorm residents just because they are easier to locate thanks to being able to use campus resources? Many more people illegally download in the off-campus student community and go unpunished because the RIAA has no means to find them.
Considering the number of students who are able to illegally download because they no longer live in the dorms, it’s uncertain whether the RIAA is going to accomplish anything in the end.
Additionally, the RIAA is basically freeloading off of vital campus resources by making network administrators do all the work and bear all the costs of installing and maintaining anti-P2P and file-sharing measures so that its content won’t be illegally distributed. Rather than have funds that could be made available for additional classes in an popular or overcrowded subject, a school has to instead waste it on making sure that little freshman Billy isn’t trading Bon Jovi’s greatest hits with his buddies.
The news comes on top of recent efforts by Congress to Increase Penalties for Copyright Infringemeny. The “Prioritizing Resources and Organization of Intellectual Property Act of 2007” would strengthen civil and criminal intellectual property laws while ensuring that it gets ample attention from federal govt by creating an office of intellectual property within the White House. That’s right, it would create a new federal agency whose sole mission would be to track down on those who illegally share content using P2P and file-sharing services.
Looking for more stuff to watch or download?
New Legislation Would Increase Penalties for Copyright Infringement
Democrats: ‘Colleges Must Stop File-Sharers or Lose Federal Aid’
The ‘Pirate Act’ Resurfaces, Would Allow Govt to Sue File-Sharers for Damages
Tips on how to not get busted for file-sharing
3 Quick Ways to Watch Movies for FREE!
3 quick ways to watch TV shows for FREE
BitTorrent torrent sites & search engines
uTorrent – A Beginner’s guide to BitTorrent downloading
News Tip? Comment? Suggestion? jared@zeropaid.com
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Going after students is the way to go. Students should concentrate on their studies not downloading the latest Spice Girls album or whatever the kids today are into. Get a place off-campus if you want to download crap.
@JosefStalin
You do realize that you can start a download and then go off and study while it completes right? And its the students not in the dorms that are doing most of the downloading anyway.
So…your entire argument is moot.
RIAA makes me laugh hard.
Why the students continue to use those networks? By now they now know they’re being watched or they should know. In fact I’d say hunted is a better description. Don’t get me wrong I am all for sharing and P2P but the analogy is: if you know the cops are running a speed trap-you either avoid or don’t speed through it and by the same token–these students need to find alternative means to P2P. It’s a matter of protecting themselves and being smarter than the RATS.
Oh the RIAA outside is frightful
But P2P is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to run
They will sue! They will sue! They will sue!
They don’t show signs of stopping
And I’ve brought some tunes for listnin’
Even though the music is turned way down low
They will sue! They will sue! They will sue!
When we finally kiss good bye
How I’ll hate going in that paper storm!
But if you’ll really hold me tight
All the way to trial I’ll be warm
The latest round is slowly dying
And my dear they’re still suing
But as long as you share with me so
They will sue! They will sue! They will sue!
Good luck to all those students and happy holidays to all but those money grubbing ba$tards who would sue at this time of year.
Jerkoffs.
Common you all know that the RIAA’s lawyers want new summer homes for the holidays. The only way to afford them is sue sue sue and what better target then a bunch of students who can’t defend themselves. Even better yet 4000$ more in dept for most students so they are sure to get the payment. Factory workers file bankruptcy students don’t they need good credit.
Good. FUcking music downloaders.
Wow I screwed up the end there Also 4 000$ more dept for a college student isn’t much when they already racked up 30 000$ or more. For those that aren’t in dept the parent will pay it to really its a win win for the riaa.
lolz the RIAA is just trying to stop the universities but they cant stop them all!!!
they wanna stop what cant be stopped at all they had a big chance before and blew it. now they just wanna stop it and shut everyone off!!!. my only advice would be to not do that at school though they have great speeds for uploading you surely are to get caught.
lolz the RIAA is just trying to stop the universities but they cant stop them all!!!
they wanna stop what cant be stopped at all they had a big chance before and blew it. now they just wanna stop it and shut everyone off!!!. my only advice would be to not do that at school though they have great speeds for uploading you surely are to get caught.
lolz the RIAA is just trying to stop the universities but they cant stop them all!!!
they wanna stop what cant be stopped at all they had a big chance before and blew it. now they just wanna stop it and shut everyone off!!!. my only advice would be to not do that at school though they have great speeds for uploading you surely are to get caught.
lolz the RIAA is just trying to stop the universities but they cant stop them all!!!
they wanna stop what cant be stopped at all they had a big chance before and blew it. now they just wanna stop it and shut everyone off!!!. my only advice would be to not do that at school though they have great speeds for uploading you surely are to get caught.