Kansas University says No! to RIAA
p2pnet news | RIAA News:- Another American University is refusing to act as an unpaid messenger for Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG’s RIAA in its sue ‘em all campaign.
Kansas University says it won’t hand out warnings to students for downloading on campus, according to the University Daily Kansan.
The university is “modifying its three-strikes policy” and starting this fall, students will lose internet privileges if they’re caught downloading copyrighted songs, says the story, going on:
But, “The University is refusing to forward pre-litigation letters from the recording industry to its students on the grounds that doing so could be an invasion of student privacy.”
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act doesn’t obligate the university to forward the letters to students, and KU won’t release any identifying information without a court order or subpoena, says Jenny Mehmedovic, coordinator for information and technology policy and planning.
Philadelphia’s Drexel University recently arrived at the same conclusion.
At KU, ISPs, including the university, “are not liable for customers’ online activity if the provider immediately removes or disables a user’s access to identified material in a copyright infringement complaint,” says the University Daily Kansan, quoting Todd Cohen, director of University Relations, as saying:.
“My understanding is that the University’s best practices viewpoint is to protect its students and show compliance to the rules but not to act as a legal agent.”
The RIAA’s (Recording Industry Association of America) newest tactic is to blame the schools for Big 4 attacks on US students.
The RIAA is scamming ill-informed, ill-advised students into signing self-incrimination ’settlement’ letters, and also charging them $3,000 or more for the privilege.
However, all signees are doing is providing valuable information to the Big 4 enforcer which might use it against them at some later date.
Universities must forward the scam letters to students, the RIAA is demanding.
Click the mic on the right to hear David Bannister’s p2pnetcast of this story >>>> 
Also See:
University Daily Kansan – KU will not forward letters from RIAA, August 13, 2007
Drexel University – RIAA to sue 16 Drexel Students, August 10, 2007
blame the schools – RIAA blames universities for lawsuits, August 10, 2007
self-incrimination ’settlement’ letters – RIAA student victimisation campaign, July 21, 2007
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August 13th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
It’s about friggin’ time.
August 14th, 2007 at 6:58 am
Oh come on people! We need some comments by the RIAA to strike some balance.
August 14th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
You vil buy our produckt viltout question. You vil ask, “how high?” ven vi say, “jump!”. You vil OBEY!
sincerly,
RIAA
August 14th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
No, I’m talking about a *serious* comment fer f* sake. Only comments from geniune RIAA representatives please. We must have some balance against this leftie propaganda.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
“serious comment”? Read http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13065
Serious but laughable comment on the views of the “RIAA”.
Unfortunately the only publicly aired stance since the members of the RIAA own the airwaves.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
“Serious” comment can be found at http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13065
Serious if it wasn’t so laughable!