So this is good news for the anti-P2P posse. With many US universities resisting pressure put on them by the Recording Industry Association Of America to better regulate the illegal distribution of music by their students on their college internet, new pressure may well be soon coming from a different direction - the US Department Of Education.
An amendment to the US's Higher Education Reauthorization Act has been passed by the US Senate, which will require universities to inform the Department as to how they are educating students regarding the civil and criminal consequences for the unauthorised distribution of copyrighted material, the steps they are taking to prevent and detect unauthorised distribution of copyrighted materials on university networks, and information on their policies on unauthorised peer-to-peer file sharing, including disciplinary actions against individuals who engage in the unauthorised distribution of copyrighted material on university computer systems.
With the Senate approval, the legislation will now be considered by the House Of Representatives in the Autumn. If passed presumably the more resistant US colleges will have to fall in line with the RIAA's wish for them to act as local regulators with regards student P2P usage.