University spared in latest set of RIAA letters
Bates, Bowdoin targeted
Tony Reaves
Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: News
The Recording Industry Association of America sent a new volley of pre-litigation letters to universities yesterday. No students in the University of Maine System were implicated, but students at Bates College, Bowdoin College and the University of New Hampshire were among 413 students nationwide accused of illegally sharing copyrighted music.
This is the third set of letters released since the RIAA began a new campaign against piracy on college campuses in late February.
The latest round comes only three weeks after the RIAA sent letters to 23 students in the UMS, including 14 on this campus. The RIAA asked the school to forward the letters, which offered settlements thousands of dollars lower than a court would award to the recording industry group. If students accept the settlement offers, the RIAA saves money on legal fees and does not have to prove its case in court.
"What we're talking about is holding accountable the people that illegally distribute music online, but we're offering this new process in which they can settle early," said Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the RIAA.
Rather than forwarding the letters, the university system elected to simply inform targeted students that they had letters intended for them and invited them to pick up their letters. According to Information Technologies Director John Gregory, all 14 UMaine students accused of file sharing have picked up their letters.
The RIAA has begun a public relations campaign promoting the current round of claims against college students. "Without question, this new enforcement initiative has invigorated a meaningful conversation on college campuses about music theft, its consequences and the numerous ways to enjoy legal music."
In response to the current round of lawsuits, a group called the Digital Freedom Campaign has begun a new program aimed at college students. The Digital Freedom University Initiative aims to create campus chapters to give a mouthpiece to students who, according to DFC spokesman Jake Ward, "understand the importance of … the fight for digital rights."
According to the DFC, groups like the RIAA are trying to stifle innovation with policies that reduce lawful sharing of digital files. Ward, who works out of Washington D.C., calls the DFC a "counterweight" to the RIAA and similar organizations. According to Ward, a handful of UMaine students have contacted the DFC expressing interest in starting a campus chapter.
For more information on the DFC and its university initiative, visit http://www.digitalfreedom.org. For more info on the RIAA's university campaign, visit http://www.riaa.com.
This is the third set of letters released since the RIAA began a new campaign against piracy on college campuses in late February.
The latest round comes only three weeks after the RIAA sent letters to 23 students in the UMS, including 14 on this campus. The RIAA asked the school to forward the letters, which offered settlements thousands of dollars lower than a court would award to the recording industry group. If students accept the settlement offers, the RIAA saves money on legal fees and does not have to prove its case in court.
"What we're talking about is holding accountable the people that illegally distribute music online, but we're offering this new process in which they can settle early," said Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the RIAA.
Rather than forwarding the letters, the university system elected to simply inform targeted students that they had letters intended for them and invited them to pick up their letters. According to Information Technologies Director John Gregory, all 14 UMaine students accused of file sharing have picked up their letters.
The RIAA has begun a public relations campaign promoting the current round of claims against college students. "Without question, this new enforcement initiative has invigorated a meaningful conversation on college campuses about music theft, its consequences and the numerous ways to enjoy legal music."
In response to the current round of lawsuits, a group called the Digital Freedom Campaign has begun a new program aimed at college students. The Digital Freedom University Initiative aims to create campus chapters to give a mouthpiece to students who, according to DFC spokesman Jake Ward, "understand the importance of … the fight for digital rights."
According to the DFC, groups like the RIAA are trying to stifle innovation with policies that reduce lawful sharing of digital files. Ward, who works out of Washington D.C., calls the DFC a "counterweight" to the RIAA and similar organizations. According to Ward, a handful of UMaine students have contacted the DFC expressing interest in starting a campus chapter.
For more information on the DFC and its university initiative, visit http://www.digitalfreedom.org. For more info on the RIAA's university campaign, visit http://www.riaa.com.
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