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RIAA Targets LAN Filesharing at Universities
segphault writes "The RIAA has sent letters to 40 university presidents in 25 separate states informing them that students are engaging in filesharing on their campuses using the local network. Apparently, the RIAA wants to get universities to use filtering software on their networks to detect student filesharing. The RIAA did not disclose the methodology they used to determine that filesharing is occuring on those local networks, but it probably didn't involve asking permission. The article goes on to predict that the RIAA will eventually try to get the government to require use of anti-filesharing filtering technologies at universities."
Last year, I got contacted by the net admins at my university and had my internet shut off because they'd been contacted externally by Paramount for downloading a 'tagged' movie. The movie had evidently been scripted with some kind of tracing code that reported its movement and transfers back to the source it originated from. Whether or not this technique is commonplace or can be done to any file, I don't know, but this tracing method is definitely one way that the moving of copyrighted files can be detected.
You might if it were taking money away from you.
Have you hugged your penguin today?
You are punishing the wrong person. Chances are, the student is unaware of the misuse of his own computer. The RIAA thinks they have a right to abuse your computer by deleting files and adding DRM without asking. Adding "network checker" is within their moral compass. Besides, the student in question is an authorized user of the network but the RIAA is not.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Actually, university students have traditionally been one of the music industry's best markets. On average, they have more disposable money and time than they ever will. Most will have more money when they land the increasingly rare, "real" job but they will have much less time to keep up with music and will realize that the limited value of canned expression.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Find a more profitable line of work...
to which you respond something along the lines of "I guess you don't like to read..."
to which I respond, "yeah, this argument's a bitch, isn't it?"
It'd be nice if someone had a way to promote science and the useful arts without also promoting marketing and the useless arts.
Stay in school kid. The phrase is "could not care less" not "could care less." If you were in school learning something you would have the critical thinking skills to not sound so stupid.