RIAA Means Business: Stop File Sharing
Every semester we provide a warning about sharing music and movie files over the PSU network. This activity is illegal and is being closely scrutinized by the Recording Industry of American (RIAA). They’ve filed legal action against students in the past and they plan to continue. That aside, file sharing of copyrighted material is wrong and we expect better from PSU students.
For many of you living on campus, the broadband connection for every student is quite a luxury. You have a world of information at your fingertips. But with that broadband comes responsibility.
PSU is an ISP (Internet service provider). You are a user on our network. We do not monitor your network use or where you go. However, if we see a network slowdown, and it points to your computer IP address, and it looks like a lot of file sharing activity, we’ll cut off that port until you stop. We do that because those network traffic jams tie up everyone around you.
You also make yourself vulnerable to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They look for their copyrighted material getting slung around the Internet. If they see it coming and going from your computer, they can file civil or criminal charges. First they would contact PSU and notify us that someone at a specific IP address is sharing their copyrighted material. We, in turn, must notify you to cease and desist the alleged behavior. If they want to bring charges, and they have, they will go right to you. At that point, you’re on your own.
PSU has an Acceptable Use Policy for computing on our network. It’s worth a read…you’re accountable to it. Please do not use our network to share files illegally or against copyright. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
For more information, see www.campusdownloading.com.
August 14th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
I find it entertaining that the recording industry spends as much effort as they do policing and restricting the file sharing on the internet when if they just appropriately monetized it (see iTunes) they’d effectively counter most piracy merely by providing a more useful and convenient service. Who’s buying CDs? How much longer will DVDs be popular? Immediate web delivered content and media is what people desire, turn pirates into customers as well as pulling in the less knowledgeable end-users and they’ll make more than they lose to piracy without trouble.
March 29th, 2007 at 10:31 am
[...] Regardless of what you think of the tactic or the music industry, they mean business. If you are using a music file sharing software and you’re sharing those files with others, you are vulnerable. PSU does not condone or support file sharing. It is wrong and illegal. [...]
April 11th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
[...] PSU does not condone or support file sharing. It is wrong and illegal. [...]