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MIT, Boston College Refuse DMCA Subpoenas

Posted by michael on from the offer-they-could-refuse dept.

phreakmonkey writes "Here's an interesting change of pace- According to today's Boston Globe, MIT and Boston College have both refused to turn over the identities of students to the RIAA under subpoenas. Citing failure of compliance with court rules and student privacy concerns, both colleges have refused to give out the names, addresses, or phone numbers of students based on their Kazaa screen names and IP addresses. I wonder how long the schools will be able to keep the RIAA's pack of lawyers at bay..."

26 of 668 comments (clear)

  1. Harvard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd be impressed if Harvard did it... I'm fairly certain that they have enough lawyers to defend against the likes of the RIAA :)

    1. Re:Harvard by tarquin_fim_bim · · Score: 5, Funny

      So where do you think the RIAA lawyers came from? Eastern Europe perhaps?

    2. Re:Harvard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      perhaps you mean renowned? like anywhere but where you're from?

    3. Re:Harvard by Loki_1929 · · Score: 2, Funny

      " What we really need is a renound LAW school to stand up to them.
      That will provide results."

      It's been my experience that no lawyer ever focuses on producing results. Rather, they seem to focus very heavily on the process - that process being the swift and steady draining of my wallet.

      --
      -- "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."
    4. Re:Harvard by evilviper · · Score: 3, Funny

      Okay everyone. For your midtem, you are to find ways that Hillary Rosen is in violation of the law, then file those violations with the district attorney. Those students who cause her to serve the most jail time will be the ones who get the best grades. For extra credit: find criminal violations related to any of the politicans that helped pass the DMCA.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  2. Harvard by Malicious · · Score: 4, Funny

    What we really need is a renound LAW school to stand up to them.
    That will provide results.

    --
    01101001001000000110000101101101001000000110001001 10000101110100011011010110000101101110
  3. Good for them... by blackmonday · · Score: 5, Funny

    Imagine the turmoil to a school administrator, knowing their students' life savings are about to get sucked up by the RIAA for sharing a few songs.

    I hope more colleges follow their lead.

    1. Re:Good for them... by jedidiah · · Score: 5, Funny

      Exactly. The Universities want to be first in line to get a student's money. They also want to be first in line to get their money after they graduate. Thus, they also have a vested interested in the future solvency and wealth of their students.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  4. Way to go MIT!! by teamhasnoi · · Score: 4, Funny
    Got a P2P proxy server for us?

    Just kidding!

    (not really)

    ...am too..really

    shhh...not.

  5. MIT eh ? by FrankoBoy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Would be sweet if the nerds down there would unleash some futuristic greedy-bastard-ass-kicking robots as a preemptive strike ;)

    --

    United States of America, good ol' backers of world peace.
    1. Re:MIT eh ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      we're working around the clock.

    2. Re:MIT eh ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      So that's how Skynet _really_ got started.

  6. Metallikkme by poptones · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's "effectively ok" to share metallica tunes because they're "effectively" worthless, anyway.

  7. Re:Maybe they weren't students. by dunng808 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I disagree. The decision makers in this case were, at MIT at least, students themselves at one time. They recall only too well the keg parties, panty raids, and VWs transported into dorm rooms of their student days. The 'net keeps the kids in their rooms, keeps 'em busy, keeps 'em out of trouble. Shut down the 'net? Are you insane? We cannot afford the consequences, the social turmoil, the civic unrest. Shut down the 'net? What's next, women athletes ripping off their tops? Tear up those subpoenas or face a wholesale return to the days of free sex!

    --

    Gary Dunn
    Open Slate Project

  8. Yeah, they had a warrent by autopr0n · · Score: 2, Funny

    Student goes to class only to come back to find his computer, some financial documents, and their booze replaced with a copy of a warrant.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  9. Re:umm, excuse me, RIAA? by austad · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's not OK to share Metallica tunes! Have you heard their latest album? It's crap, and it's a waste of valuble bandwidth.

    I bet making shitty music is their new plan to stop people from sharing it. They should should send this idea over to the patent department, I'm sure it would go right through.

    --
    Need Free Juniper/NetScreen Support? JuniperForum
  10. Terminator sez "Hasta la vista, RIAA " by Cryofan · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, right.....

    --
    eat shiat and bark at the moon
  11. Re:As one who DOES NOT engage in copyright violati by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    simply because somewhere out there there is a dirty old man molesting a child

    Yes --- and furthermore, where's the outrage about dirty children molesting old men?

  12. I for one ... by BorgCopyeditor · · Score: 4, Funny
    Liberty: a well armed sheep expressing his rights.

    It looks like sheep have arisen. I for one...

    You gonna finish that? "I, for one, welcome our new avine overlords"?

    --
    Shop as usual. And avoid panic buying.
  13. should have paid attention to banner ads by glitch23 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I guess now is the time to say I told you so with respect to those banner ads telling everyone that their IPs are being broadcasted over the Internet. Next thing you know people will be complaining that they missed their email when they are told plain and clear they have 1 new message waiting for them.

    --
    this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
  14. I'm one of the students... by dotgod · · Score: 2, Funny
    HA, HA, there's no way the RIAA-police are gonna get me as long as my anonymity is preserved. Since my school won't give me away there's no way that they can get my IP addr...

    *footsteps*

    *knock knock*

  15. Re:When the lambs don't lay down.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    >Democracy: two wolves and a sheep voting on what's >for lunch
    >Liberty: a well armed sheep expressing his rights.

    Republic: ten wolves promising anything to get elected and eating all the sheep using their army.

  16. Alrighty Kids, Here's What You Do: by NeuroManson · · Score: 2, Funny

    All lawsuits require some form of valid evidence. A "list" does not quantify evidence. Get your attorney to demand that the RIAA download and play every alleged file you have on their list.

    Every.

    Single.

    Song.

    They'll either dismiss the case, or the jury will have comitted suicide by the 8th hour of your "Best of Menudo", "Backstreet Boys Greatest Hits", and "Nsyn Nlimited" collection.

    End of case.

    --
    Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
  17. Another alternative: by NeuroManson · · Score: 2, Funny

    Anyone who downloaded it, share, and ONLY share, Charlie Manson's "Whitey Album".

    Then when the RIAA tries to nail you for it, send out a press release stating that the RIAA is contributing profits to a convicted mass murderer.

    --
    Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
  18. Smart enough to get into MIT... by leedo · · Score: 1, Funny

    So these people are smart enough to get into MIT but are also stupid enough to use Kazzaa. *scratches head*

  19. Harvard? by SEWilco · · Score: 2, Funny
    It would be interesting to see what Harvard would do.
    I can't decide which would be worse to try to challenge on legal issues:
    • The lawyers which Harvard retains.
    • The administration of Harvard Law School.
    • The faculty of Harvard Law School.
    • 1,800 Harvard student lawyers.