Vanderbilt enters RIAA fray
p2pnet.net news:- “The RIAA has many resources at its disposal, but even a slightly knowledgeable computer user can lessen his chances of becoming a target of copyright infringement lawsuits. The first and most important step is to do research. Information on how to circumvent the RIAA’s measures is practically everywhere on the Internet, and when the Internet fails, it is time to consult a nerdy friend. There is no reason in this age of rapid technological progress to use the same downloading tool in college that was used in middle school; the RIAA, after all, has access to the same Internet we do, and, while they are slow in researching new technologies, they eventually catch up to the curve.
“The Hustler does not condone copyright infringement, but safety is a paramount concern because the Internet is a dangerous place. As with many other scenarios, the safest means is abstinence, but if you must download, use protection.”
The Hustler is Vanderbilt University’s student newspaper and highlighted in an editorial was the student ’settlement’ scandal through which Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG, the members of the Big 4 music cartel, are using their RIAA to try to ensnare students in an online self-incrimination trap.
But three Vanderbilt University officials have waded in firmly on the side of the Big 4, even parroting the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) mantra, ‘downloading is the same as stealing a CD from a store’.
“As music librarians at Vanderbilt University, we feel compelled to respond to the March 26 ‘Our View,’ ‘Students Must Be More Wary of Technology,” say Sara J. Beutter, music librarian for public services, Steven Nordstrom, music librarian/cataloger, and Holling Smith-Borne, director of the music library, continuing:
Although The Hustler claims it does not condone copyright infringement, suggesting students should find ways to download illegally without getting caught really does promote such infringement and is a stance not likely to be supported by the university’s legal counsel.
Whether you agree or disagree with the RIAA’s practices is moot. When you download a commercial audio or video file you have not paid for, you are stealing. We doubt that any Vanderbilt student would walk into a record store and steal a CD or DVD, yet there seems to be little acknowledgement that the theft of a physical object carrying digital content and the downloading of that digital content over the Internet are one and the same. Just because it is easier to do doesn’t make it less of a crime.
The post then details the potentially dire consequences of messing with Big Music stating, on its behalf:
You should also be aware the RIAA is continually developing new technologies for detecting illegal downloads and file sharing. The RIAA is not nearly as far behind the curve as your editorial suggests.
The three add:
An important aspect that is often lost in the debate about file sharing is the rights of the creator of the content. The RIAA is not just protecting its profits, but the rights of its artists as well. Copyright legislation was enacted to give authors and artists the right to control how their works are used. When you acquire this content illegally, you deny the artist his or her legal right to designate how his or her work will be distributed. As students, you are taught by your professors the importance of respecting intellectual property rights by using written information legally and ethically. Audio and video are also intellectual property, and you have the same responsibility to use it appropriately.
If you disagree with the RIAA’s activities, further illegal downloading is certainly not a logical choice for promoting change. As we have seen with the recent issue of pre-litigation letters to 20 Vanderbilt students, if you participate in this illegal activity, you run the risk of being prosecuted no matter how carefully you think you have covered your tracks. If you believe the RIAA is too restrictive over the intellectual content of the artists that they represent, you should get involved and advocate for changes to existing copyright law.
The University of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, and University of Maine System have come out strongly against the RIAA’s attemnpts to use as delivery agents for RIAA ’settlement’ letters.
Meanwhile, the Digital Freedom Campaign (DFC) has reacted to the distribution of pre-litigation letters to college students throughout the country.
“Through the creation of student-chapters at colleges and universities across the country, DFU (Digital Freedom
University Initiative) will give students a voice in the national debate surrounding digital rights and freedoms in the 21st Century,” it says. “DFU will educate students about their fair use rights encourage them to obtain content legally, and help them oppose efforts to restrict or violate their digital freedoms.”
Also See:
editorial – Students must be more wary of technology, March 25, 2007
self-incrimination trap – RIAA ‘incriminate yourself’ site, February 18, 2007
delivery agents – Third school says No! to the RIAA, March 29, 2007
DFC – Digital Freedom Campaign Responds to Recording Industry Lawsuits, March 30, 2007
If your Net access is blocked by government restrictions, try Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at thIs the end (of the Net) nigh?zze University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Go here for the official download, here for the p2pnet download, and here for details. And if you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent web site blocking outside of China. Download it here.
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
March 30th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I love how the rebuttal by Vanderbilt states that the RIAA protects the content creators as well. I say bullsh!t. The RIAA protects the bottom line of the major labels, who continually shaft artists.
March 31st, 2007 at 12:05 am
What do you all expect from Music City????