The Recording Industry Association Of America has stepped up its anti-P2P campaign against college students in the last year, according to a report from Associated Press. But before all our student readers panic, this is just in America. US based student readers, yeah, I should start panicking.
The news agency reports that the RIAA has sent out thousands of complaints regarding file sharing activity on campuses around the US. Those complaints go to the colleges themselves, who essentially act as an ISP to the students who access the internet on campus.
Unlike the RIAA's other action in this area, however, the trade body initially relies on the college to take action against the suspected file sharer on their behalf, rather than demanding to know the sharer's identity so they can launch legal proceedings against them. Which is nice of them, I suppose. Though it does mean they can sidestep the legal costs and PR risks of actually suing the students. Certainly there has been a mixed response by the colleges to acting against file sharers among their student body. Some recognise that by taking internal action they are protecting both themselves and their students from possible legal action. Others resist becoming the RIAA's police officers.
The trade body told the AP that Ohio State and Purdue University have been sent the most complaints - over a 1000 each - while University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Of Tennessee, University Of South Carolina, Michigan State and the University Of Massachusetts at Amherst have also received high numbers of file sharer complaints.
Confirming that his college acts when contacted by the RIAA, Randall Hall of Michigan State University told CNN: "They're [the RIAA] trying to make a statement". He said that if one of his students was caught file sharing twice he'd meet with them and show them an RIAA produced anti-piracy DVD. God, can you imagine how awful that must be? I think I'd rather have the fine. But should the trauma of watching the RIAA propaganda tape not work, the student risks suspension if caught file sharing for a third time. On the students he had had to speak to so far, Randall continued: "I get the whole spectrum of excuses. The most common answer I get is, 'All my friends are doing this. Why did I get caught?'"
But Steve Talley of Purdue University said his college was less keen to get involved with the RIAA's anti-P2P action. He told reporters: "In a sense, the [RIAA's complaint] letter is asking us to pursue an investigation and as the service provider we don't see that as our role. We are a leading technology school with thousands and thousands of curious and talented technology students".