| Show Recording Industry Goes Goese After College e Students The Th The e Re Recording Industry Association of of- of America on belf behalf of th the major record companies brought a new round of legal action against in individual computer users offering substantial amounts of copyrighted copyrighted copyrighted copy copy- righted music files for free on to peer-to-peer including illegal file sharers at networks 21 different universities total of illegal file sharers were A 89 included in today's action including individuals who were us using ng university networks networks networks net net- distribute copyrighted to illegally works S services on to peer-to-peer recordings sound U ver iu-ver networks used for this illegal illegal ille- ille The ie Sy university ity include scho schools ls in in Arizona gal activity Colorado Indiana Maryland California Sn New York Pennsylvania Michigan Washington DC D.C. and Tennessee illegal P Wisconsin Lawsuits against commercial were file le SK sharers California California using Colorado Missouri m in brought Like the lawsuits filed Texas and Virginia eS the WAA is again utilizing this year earlier fhe Join John Doe litigation process ing the is used shed to o sue defendants whose w which ch known names are not of legal mu music uric ic ex exciting array an There where is fans fens can c n Cary get quality high u man services aid ary Sh saId online music important Lawsuits are an Important President strategy to ed educate cate of ot the larger the rights s tant part about the law P protect file me sharers music an copyright owners of fans to turn to these ese legitimate services Its important for everyone to understand understand understand under under- stand that no one is immune from the consequences consequences consequences con con- sequences of illegally sharing music files on networks added Sherman Piracy which is particularly rampant on college campuses continues to hurt retailers retail retail- ers musicians producers record labels and the thousands of less-celebrated less individuals individuals individuals indi indi- involved in making music It undermines the ability of the music community community community com com- to invest in the great up com ing artists of tomorrow a real loss especially especially especially espe espe- for fans who look for fresh new music While levels of piracy on college campuses campuses campuses cam cam- remain high there has been real progress during the last two years Schools across the country are taking proactive steps to better educate students about illegal illegal illegal ille ille- gal gal file sharing and are stepping up enforcement of their rules against copyright copyright copy copy- right violations Many university administrators administrators administrators adminis adminis- have installed computer network management technologies such as bandwidth bandwidth bandwidth band band- width shaping Other schools have implemented implemented implemented or are exploring partnerships with legal online music services Lawsuits remain a key component of the music industry's effort to protect its rights and legitimize the online music marketplace See continued on page 2 continued from front page The liThe expansion of legal online music services to college campuses is an extraordinary and exciting development II said Sherman Delivering legal online music directly to students and expanding the opportunities for digital services is a win-win win for everyone The new wave of lawsuits lawsuits lawsuits law law- suits just one element of ofa a pronged multi-pronged strategy designed to migrate fans from the illegitimate to the legitimate music marketplace marketplace market market- marketplace place comes amid continued continued continued con con- signs that the industry's industry's industry's indus indus- try's education and enforcement campaign is having an impact According to a March survey by Peter D. D Hart Research Associates those who say it is illegal to tomake tomake tomake make music from the computer available for others others others oth oth- oth- oth ers to download for free over the Internet stands at 63 percent with only 15 percent saying they think its it's legal two Sixty-two percent percent percent per per- cent of the subgroup of students students stu stu- stu- stu dents also thought the activity was illegal but 28 percent thought it wase was education legal e al suggesting that more education is required By a more than two-to- two one margin the public supports supports sup sup- ports the record companies companies' companies companies' companies companies' compa compa- nies' nies legal efforts according accord accord- ing ilg to the Hart poll Fiftysix FiftySIX Fifty- Fifty six six percent say they are supportive and under under- j standing when told that the record industry is is I gathering evidence and preparing lawsuits against individual computer users who are illegally illegally sharing substantial amounts of copyrighted music music online compared to 19 percent who say they are unsupportive unsupportive unsupportive and negative II Among students 50 percent percent percent per per- cent are supportive and understanding while 27 percent are unsupportive and negative The first round of John Doe litigations filed in January is proceeding along All four courts in i that round have granted the record companies' companies preliminary preliminary nary request to issue subpoenas subpoenas subpoenas sub sub- to Internet Service Providers to learn the identity of illegal file 1 sharers The record companies companies compa comps nies flies plan to send letters to identified individuals offering to settle with them before litigation continues any further If an illegal file sharer rejects the settlement settlement settlement settle settle- ment overture the record companies will proceed r with litigation against that individual For the second round of suits b brought ought in 1 February courts in m Georgia and New Jersey have approved the motion to begin issuing subpoenas The court in Florida has requested additional brief brief brief- ing In II Philadelphia the is IS asking the court to re-consider re an initial decision decision deci deci- decision sion that the needed to file individual complaints complaints complaints com com- plaints for each illegal file sharer |
