RIAA backs up stance on Web piracy

Two entertainment agencies sent letters to 40 universities saying that they had detected… Two entertainment agencies sent letters to 40 universities saying that they had detected movie and music piracy on the universities’ computer networks.

The Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America would not release the universities’ names, and although the RIAA filed a lawsuit against a Pitt student in October 2005 and linked 16 Pitt accounts to file-sharing activities in April 2005, Pitt’s Associate General Counsel Ted Fritz said he did not believe Pitt received a letter.

But record companies are not the only ones concerned with illegal file sharing.

According to RIAA Spokesperson Amanda Hunter, university administrators report massive uploading and downloading of copyrighted works that place immense demands upon their computer networks.

Now, both record companies like the RIAA and universities are working to promote awareness about copyright infringement through educational and legal efforts.

The RIAA would not discuss how they investigate and detect illegal file sharing, but Walton took a guess:

“There has been all sorts of speculation,” Walton said, “but typically they are scanning the Internet looking for the activity usually when music files are being shared.”

The RIAA has worked on educational campaigns that highlight the negative effects music downloading has on the music industry, including the “I Download” campaign in Billboard Magazine and the “Feed A Musician” campaign last summer.

Jinx Walton, Pitt’s Director of Computing Services and System Development, said that the university also tries to inform students about the harmful effects of illegal file-sharing, especially in the residence halls.

“We really try to publicize it and make it aware that we have a security awareness program that focuses specifically on copyright infringement,” Walton said.

CSSD also offers Apple iTunes, a free software application that Pitt students can download to listen to music on Internet radio stations. Its users can avoid copyright infringements by paying 99 cents for a single song track or by buying entire albums that start at $9.95, according to the department’s Web site.

But not all students want to pay for music when they can get it for free illegally.

“College students are likely to have more time than money and a free, high-speed Internet connection,” Hunter said.

Recording industries have started to take legal action against people who share files illegally.

Hunter said that the agency has brought lawsuits against people at different universities before, which sometimes deters others from illegally downloading files.

“Anyone participating in illegal music stealing could potentially face legal action,” Hunter said. “People who engage in this illegal activity should remain on notice that this is theft, you can be caught and there are consequences for your actions.”

But recording agencies do not always take immediate legal action — many times they send a notice to the university, which then tells the student to remove the material immediately. Afterward, here at Pitt, the student is referred to the student judicial board.

“College students are some of the most avid music fans,” Hunter said. “The music habits and customs they develop now are likely to stay with them for life. It’s especially important for us to educate them about the law, the harm suffered by musicians, labels and retailers alike when music is stolen and the great legal ways to enjoy music online.”