Whether downloading "Office Space" from Resnetster or getting the latest White Stripes album off Kazaa, many UB students have dabbled in file sharing.
And in the wake of major lawsuits by the Recording Industry Association of America against file sharers, many UB students wonder if the industry is coming for them.
Stephanie Cole, an attorney specializing in intellectual property, addressed the legal aspects of file sharing in a forum on the lawn between the Student Union and Knox Hall.
Law students, undergraduates and a member of Computer and Information Technology disscussed the motives of the Recording Industry Association of America and the constant development of new technology.
Is the average college student at risk for being sued by the RIAA? Cole hesitated to say no, but doubted that many students would be named in lawsuits.
Acording to Cole, the industry is using these lawsuits mainly as a public relations campaign in an effort to get the word out that file-sharing of copyrighted material is wrong.
"(The RIAA) views these lawsuits as an investment," Cole said. "The technology changes so rapidly, sometimes it's not worth it, unless it's a principle issue."
People of all ages engaged in using file-sharing systems like Kazaa or Morpheus to acquire "substantial" amounts of copyrighted material have been sued by the industry, Cole said. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Web site, using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the industry is able to obtain the nessecary demographic information to file civil suits againist the accused.
In addition, revenues from lawsuits are used to pay the attorney fees involved. Therefore no net gain is made for the industry, Cole said.
The Electronic Foundation Frontier advises users of file-sharing programs to reduce their risk of being sued by removing any copyrighted material from their computers or by disabling the "sharing" feature of peer to peer file sharing systems.
File-sharing is also a violation of UB's computing policy and is seriously dealt with, according to the Office of Computing and Information Technology Web site. UB has named an agent who, in accordance with copyright law, will reveal names of students, staff and faculty accused of copyright infringement.
Second year law student Laura Lombardo, a former paralegal for the RIAA, said she was astonished that many of her friends thought they deserved the music for free.
"We wouldn't tell the NFL or any other entertainment that we have a right to it (for free)," she said.
Cole warned students to avoid amnesty programs that allow file sharers to sign an admission of guilt and receive immunity from investigation if they delete all illegally downloaded materials.
"Immunity things are too dangerous," she said.
Many believe that in the end, the march of technology will defeat the industry, Cole said.
"In my fantasy world that whole 'purchasing something tangible' goes out the window," she said. "No more CDs, no more tapes."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
