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Page 3 • Wednesday, September 17, 2003
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Music lovers face consequences as the RIAA cracks down on illegal file sharing
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By Amy Malone
THE BATTALION
It seems like long ago when all was right with the world.
About to venture out into college and taking memories from high
school and meshing them with your new life, music has been what
centers a lot of college students and spawns those memories.
College students know the magical window Kazaa and
Morpheus have opened up to assist them in having access to
any desired song in a matter of moments that is seemingly free
of charge.
Students know downloading music may not be the most law
ful act but believe no one is watching and that there will not be
consequences for illegal downloading of files. It seems that late
ly this act which most cannot perceive as immoral, has been
subject to a fine.
* “Some is legal, and some is not,” said Dr. Pierce Cantrell. Jr.,
the associate provost for Information Technology at Texas A&M
University.
WHAT IS l-EGAL?
There are now online stores available such as iTunes and
BuyMusic for purchasing songs. On the BuyMusic Web site vis
itors may have access to John’s Mayer's "Heavier Things” album
for $12.79; however, they cannot buy single tracks from this par
ticular CD.
Most individual songs, such as Brooks and Dunn's "Red Dirt
Road,” are available for $0.99.
What started off as an Apple computer-based program, iTunes
has now opened up to Windows users via iPod, a device that
downloads music from an entire music library into a "lighter than
2 CDs” device, which has a “battery that lasts all day.” The start
ing price is $299.
Recognizing that consumers will find other avenues for down
loading songs, record companies have decided to make a com
promise with these online stores.
The Recording Industry Association of America’s definition
of copyright is “the protection of the original expression of
an idea, whether it is expressed in the form of music, a
painting or written material.”
People are violating copyrights when files are made
public by uploading, sent through an e-mail or
chat service, or reproduced and distributed as
mixed CDs without permission from the
owner.
The Web site www.musicunited.org gives
four reasons why one should not steal music:
. Stealing music is against the law.
2. Stealing music betrays the songwrit
ers and recording artists who create it.
3. Stealing music stifles the careers of
new artists and up-and-coming bands.
4. Stealing music threatens the livelihood of the thousands of working
people—from recording engineers to record store clerks—who are
employed in the music industry.
WHY PA Y
Downloading a song from a computer using Kazaa or iMesh is
illegal. Believe it or not, it is not hard for the RIAA to track your
tracks,
Cantrell said they are required by law to take down any notices
that the RIAA sends them regarding illegal or abusive download
ing practices.
The A&M campus receives four to five calls per week on
excessive and illegal music downloading with residence halls as
the subject of most of these.
“We keep track; if repeated, we turn those names over to
Student Conflict Resolution Services ... No subpoenas yet. I
expect there will be one day,” Cantrell said.
There is currently not enough money in the University’s
budget to buy more restrictions on campus Internet. The
University follows the guidelines of the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act.
The act states that measures should be taken to pre
vent unauthorized access and
ION
ring the fall and spring semts-
holidays and exam periods)?!
. POSTMASTER: Send address
77843-1111,
ersity in the Division of Met
McDonald Building, Newsroom
p://www.thebattalion,net
lent by The Battalion, For can
ing, call 845-0569. Advertiaf
through Friday. Fax: 845-2678,
enttopick up a single copy of
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, oi
copying of copyrighted works.
The Digital Millenium Copyright Act further stresses that
anyone who has been given notice of infringement and not
taken action are subject to resulting damages incurred by the
infringer, copyright owner or service provider.
WHO IS AT RTSK?BKJ^
Congress was told earlier this month by the president of the
RIAA, Cary H. Sherman, that lawsuits would only be filed against
users who download and share large amounts of songs that are
copyrighted.
According to The Heights, the student newspaper at Boston
College, three undergraduates from BC were subpoenaed for
sharing songs in June and July, including songs by Busta
Rhymes, LFO, Lauryn Hill, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson
and Snoop Dogg .
On Sept. 8, 261 lawsuits were filed by the
recording industry against Internet music
sharers, as well. For each violation
transgressors may be held liable for
anywhere from $750 and $150,000
under copyright law.
Amanda Collins of the RIAA said
that the only way students can be posi
tive that they are in compliance with
the law is to follow the direc
tives of the Joint Committee,
which acts as a “clearing
house” for the music and
movie industries and scruti
nize the www.musicunited.org
Web site for further under
standing.
Whether this should even be
an issue is a hot topic among col
lege students today. Most do not
feel lukewarm about the rights to
music.
Local singer/ songwriter and jun
ior communications major Richard
O’Toole believes music should tran
scend money and legal issues.
“Music is a gift to this world and
should be shared at no cost,” he said.
Online file sharing is an undoubtedly a
good way for starting musicians to get their
name out there, O’Toole said. But other
students do consider this stealing and cannot
find justification for it.
David Gardiner, a junior psychology major,
said he agrees that artists work extremely hard
at what they do, but is turned off to paying for
music because of artists’ lifestyles.
“Watching shows like MTV’s ‘Cribs’ and
‘Diary,’ I just can’t say that I feel bad about
downloading music,” Gardiner said.
Whether a malicious act or just an impatient
one from waiting by the radio, this Generation
Now wants its music in a hurry.
Cantrell thinks it is important to supply
knowledge on this subject.
“We are trying to provide education to the stu
dents to try to encourage them that they shouldn’t
violate the law,” she said
So the next time there is a hankerin’ to hear the good
old beer drinkin’ boys of Texas country such as Robert
Earl Keen and Roger Creager check the copyright and
break down and pay the whole $0.99, just in case.
Visit www.musicunited.org for more information on the
legal uses of music.