Spring Break
RIAA sues students for illegal file-sharing
By: Aditi Dubey
Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: News
Originally published: 3/16/07 at 12:55 PM EST
Last update: 3/16/07 at 12:54 PM EST
Originally published: 3/16/07 at 12:55 PM EST
Last update: 3/16/07 at 12:54 PM EST
Ergin further explained that OGC does not represent students in such situations because their client is the University as an entity.
"Students are not our agents in any way," Ergin said. "We do not represent the students for anything including illegal filesharing. They have to get their own counsel."
The OGC said that Drexel students should understand that the RIAA could initiate additional lawsuits in the future and that each student who continues to share copyrighted material illegally is running the risk of being the next defendant or facing judicial charges at Drexel.
"Even though students, faculty and staff can acquire digital music legally at discount prices through MusicSelect, it is not the taking of copyrighted material that students are getting sued for, it is the sharing," Ergin said. "So it is simple; don't use file-trading networks to acquire music and you won't get sued."
The USGA worked closely with IRT to initate MusicSelect last year and sees the lawsuits as unpleasant news.
"The RIAA is clearly still out of touch with our generation - it's a shame they feel that lawsuits are the only way to help everyone understand that what they're doing is illegal," USGA President Daniel Steinberg said. "They should instead be focusing on new ways of making music available without the restrictions of digital rights management.
"What they've been doing for the past few years obviously hasn't been working, yet they continue to do nothing but the same. Let's hope this is the last round of lawsuits for a long time."
"Students are not our agents in any way," Ergin said. "We do not represent the students for anything including illegal filesharing. They have to get their own counsel."
The OGC said that Drexel students should understand that the RIAA could initiate additional lawsuits in the future and that each student who continues to share copyrighted material illegally is running the risk of being the next defendant or facing judicial charges at Drexel.
"Even though students, faculty and staff can acquire digital music legally at discount prices through MusicSelect, it is not the taking of copyrighted material that students are getting sued for, it is the sharing," Ergin said. "So it is simple; don't use file-trading networks to acquire music and you won't get sued."
The USGA worked closely with IRT to initate MusicSelect last year and sees the lawsuits as unpleasant news.
"The RIAA is clearly still out of touch with our generation - it's a shame they feel that lawsuits are the only way to help everyone understand that what they're doing is illegal," USGA President Daniel Steinberg said. "They should instead be focusing on new ways of making music available without the restrictions of digital rights management.
"What they've been doing for the past few years obviously hasn't been working, yet they continue to do nothing but the same. Let's hope this is the last round of lawsuits for a long time."
Tobey Oxholm, General Counsel
posted 3/17/07 @ 11:15 AM EST
Dan Steinberg is right, of course: it would be terrific if new modalities were developed by the recording industry. But the bottom line today is that any student who takes someone else's copyrighted music and shares it with others is considered a thief; and for RIAA, it's now an easy thing for them to prosecute - all the forms are written, the processes in place, the attorneys ready to go. (Continued…)