UConn hands student names to RIAA
p2pnet news | RIAA News:- Hand over student names, Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG’s RIAA ordered the University of Connecticut.
And it did, even though nothing has been proven and no one has been charged with anything.
“UConn has now received a subpoena which requires them to divulge the names of those in the university who are guilty of harboring illegally shared files on their personal computers,” says a Daily Campus OpEd which could almost have been written word-for-word by an RIAA hack.
“The administration, as it is bound by law to do, has complied,” says the story, going on:
“As of now, only 84 students have received pre-settlement letters asking for payments of $3,000-$6,000 for their contribution in the massive, online peer-to-peer networks.
“This is terrible. This is scary. But this is completely legal and warranted, and it is only the beginning.”
Better believe it. Because when you give in to bullies, they don’t go away.
But anyone at the university who believes this is ultimately in the best interests of the school, if not students, had better think again.
Paying RIAA / Big 4 blackmail money doesn’t mean a thing, p2pnet posted recently, going on:
Far from removing the threat, giving in to the so-called ‘pre-settlement’ scam merely provides the RIAA with an admission of guilt without its legal vultures ever having to go near a court, pulls personal information about the alleged transgressor, and still leaves him or her wide open to another action in the future.
Says the OpEd:
University students across the country are receiving letters asking that they cough-up the requested sum. The smart ones are recognizing they have been nabbed and also that $3,000 is a discount compared to the value of the music they actually have. The more audacious amongst them have fought the bad fight and have overwhelmingly been defeated, to the tune of higher fines and costly lawyer fees. So far, at least 32 UConn students have accepted the RIAA offer and they will live to fight another day.
S/he goes on:
Granted, the RIAA is no one’s friend. Many of their ideas are an invasion on the freedoms of music owners and Internet users everywhere. DRM limitations, which prevent purchased music from being copied to multiple places, such as to a CD or an iPod, are rapidly disappearing. Another initiative, filtering Internet connections through an Internet service provider or an anti-virus program, is likely to meet resistance because it may affect the subscription rates of those vendors who opt to implement these technologies.
But the RIAA has a winner in this program. It is a nickel-and-dime way to choke off the peer-to-peer networks, but it is a lot easier to fight a nervous student than the creator of a file sharing application. It seems poised to work because not many amongst the student population can stomach the thought of writing a check for upwards of $6000 dollars, or worse yet – forcing their parents to write that same check.
With the delivery of these first settlement packages to UConn students, those who did not receive notices should count themselves lucky. They should also be smart about continuing to share files. No one can guarantee the security of file sharing programs, such as DC++, any longer. The first warning shots have been fired. The cost of file sharing will only get worse from here and students should face this fact – or soon they may have to face the consequences.
Bear in mind this was written not by the RIAA, but by someone at UConn.
And the last sentence has a special ring to it considering UConn has no intention of standing up for its students.
Also See:
Daily Campus – Be Wary Of File Sharing On Campus, February 12, 2008
p2pnet – RIAA goes after William & Mary — again, February 8, 2008
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February 12th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Sounds like it was written by a brown-noser looking to score a job in the record indsutry.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
“Better believe it. Because when you give in to bullies, they don’t go away.”
This is why I would shoot them on sight.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
“Better believe it. Because when you give in to bullies, they don’t go away.”
This is why I spray them on sight with pest killer to make a point for the others buliies.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
UConn… DisConnecticutting P2P.
Hmm, sounds like they’ll be getting a drop in their applicant numbers next year….
February 12th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
One of the students should now sue the school for inappropriately handing over their private information without proper legal precedent. I bet that would slow some of the other schools down before caving to the RIAA.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I hate this as much as the next guy. I’m a college student myself and know plenty of people with “illicit files” if you will. But the fact of the matter is, if the RIAA had a subpoena then there WAS legal precedent. I’m sorry. I hate it. But you’re wrong.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Advice from the Label:
“purchase your label music legally”.
This will keep you out of trouble.
Better Advice from a Music Lover:
“forget completely about label music and embrace independent music”
This will keep you out of trouble, cost way less and expand your musical horizons.