So how many songs have you downloaded or shared lately?
In response to the legal notices issued by the Recording Industry Association of America, Winston-Salem State University is cracking down on illegal downloading and sharing electronic media — including music, movies and software.
Glenn Knox, director of Communication Technology and Information Security is in charge of protecting the University against threats local and abroad.
“Once the RIAA has found a violation, they immediately contact the [WSSU] legal department,” he said.
Once the legal department has been notified it is Knox’s responsibility to identify the violator.
“The RIAA let’s us know at what time the violation took place. With that information we can find the computer that was in violation at that time,” Knox said.
When a student has started file sharing, they consequently open a “worm hole” that makes their computer and its content visible to anyone.
Knox says the RIAA can go through a computer and see everything in it.
Once the RIAA has accessed a computer, each file that a person is hosting or sharing holds its own individual violation.
According to the RIAA, each digital file holds a penalty up to $150,000 and a minimum of $750 in damages.
The RIAA dedicates hundreds of servers to scan the Internet looking for people sharing copyrighted digital media.
Since each university has a unique set of Internet Protocol’s or IP’s finding a file sharer becomes effortless.
An IP is a digital serial number used to identify any computer connected to the Internet.
This number is very specific and is sufficient evidence in most legal disputes.
File sharing is illegal, but many students use popular programs such as Limewire, Bearshare, or numerous peer-to-peer programs available today.
Others may use instant messaging programs such as Yahoo or AIM.
Students found in violation will be unable to sign on to the Cisco Clean Access program that the University uses to monitor the residential network.
Sharing music is illegal, and Knox assures that the RIAA will find violators.
“As adults you [students] are treated as such, and if you are using the University’s assets, it is your responsibility to use in the correct manner.
Illegally downloading or sharing copyrighted content becomes your responsibility.”
Students can legally download music from sites such as iTunes or Rhapsody.
But they break the law when they let others have access to their personal music library.
Students may purchase a compact disc or digital file, but it does not mean they own the rights to the contents.