Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are causing problems in the Recording Industry Association of America's attempts to find out the identities of four students who they reckon have been illegally copying music.
Four of the downloaders currently being targeted in the RIAA's 'Summer Of Litigation' use internet services provided by their colleges. Those colleges argue that, while they support the rights of copyright holders and therefore plan to comply with any subpoenas from record labels trying to track downloaders down, they are bound by another law which means they have to inform the students in question that a subpoena has been issued before they can hand over any data. This is because the personal information of students held by colleges is protected by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. If nothing else this will slow down how quickly personal information can be supplied to the litigious record labels.
The RIAA's Jonathan Lamy wasn't impressed: "These universities have chosen to litigate this in an attempt to deny copyright holders the right so clearly granted in Congress.