File sharing continues despite restrictions and lawsuits
ITS blocks file sharing programs and is 'offically unaware' of student sharing networks
Joel Pavelski
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News
Back in kindergarten, everyone was taught a few simple lessons. "Don't eat the glue," "That doesn't go up your nose," and "Share your toys!" among them. But today, a different form of sharing, known as file-sharing, could land you a hefty sum of fines.
The phrase "file-sharing" typically describes the practice of making electronic files available to other people using the Internet or smaller networks.
"Agencies tracking [file-sharing] say that there's not a lot of it going in and out of Hillsdale," said David Zenz, the executive director of information technology at Hillsdale College.
"If you copy a CD and hand it to another person, that's file-sharing," Zenz said "The problem is when you're sharing copyrighted material."
Sharing copyrighted material is illegal. The recording and motion picture industries sue people who share such material, including Hillsdale students.
The fight over file-sharing
The legality and consequences of sharing files is constantly under dispute, and the recording industry continues to prosecute the perpetrators of illegal file-sharing. On Oct. 4, six record companies won a $222,000 settlement from a Minnesota woman who downloaded and shared 24 songs, according to the Associated Press. Though most of the 26,000 lawsuits filed by the industries since 2003 have settled out of court for a few thousand dollars, students could face fines of $750 to $150,000 for each song illegally downloaded.
In a mass mailing sent to universities across the country this spring, the Recording Industry Association of America called the amount of file sharing on college campuses "extensive and unacceptable." The letter, sent also to Hillsdale's Information Technology
Services, asks for increased cooperation from college administrators and describes ways to discourage illegal downloading.
Zenz said that the recording and motion picture industries have specifically targeted college campuses.
"They believe [colleges] are an unfettered arena for illegal downloads," he said. "In response to file sharing, industries are trying to partner with colleges to provide legal alternatives, such as a campus negotiated service to allow online access to music and movies," Zenz said. He said Hillsdale has no plans to offer such a service, since it considers popular legal methods of file-sharing (such as the fee-based services of iTunes or Napster) sufficient.
Zenz said ITS is mainly concerned with viruses and has never been significantly targeted for file-sharing lawsuits.
File-sharing @ Hillsdale
Hillsdale students generally steer clear of the most common file-sharing methods.
Popular global file-sharing programs, known as "peer-to-peer" networks (like Kazaa, Ares or Limewire), are impossible to use through campus Internet. Zenz said that ITS prevents anyone on the campus network from accessing them.
"According to the Acceptable Use Policy, connectivity to the Internet is not allowed for file-sharing. We lock down the system so that doesn't happen externally," he said.
This has caused student-run networks at Hillsdale, which allow users to access and view files on other network computers. The original network search utility, called "ffsearch," was disbanded when its creator graduated. However, other utilities have popped up to take its place. Only accessible on-campus, students can view everything from sheet music to South Park episodes on campus computers.
Freshman Luca D'Anselmi listens to music that is shared on the network.
"I can find bands that I wouldn't know about otherwise," he said, "and find related bands that sound like them. It's a great way to find music you can really get into."
When questioned about the existence of a student-run network, the ITS director said, "As far as we're aware, officially, we don't know anything."
Sophomore Ben Newman said he downloaded sheet music from a Web site (http://www.imslp.org) until it was shut down for copyright infringement on Oct. 13. "It had everything," he said, "Free sheet music, and I almost had everything I wanted."
Consequences @ Hillsdale<
In the past, students have faced penalties for illegally sharing files, both from media industries and from the college itself.
The first sign of trouble is when the school receives a notice from the industry, said Zenz.
Typically from Sony, the notices are essentially a cease and desist order. After receiving a notice, Zenz said ITS identifies the individual and works with them to delete all the copyrighted material. For a second offense, their Internet port on campus is turned off.
Pat Chartrand, the network and systems manager, said that the school hasn't received any such notices in two years, and that they've never had a second offense.
A Hillsdale student was recently sued by the recording industries. ITS would not release the student's name.
"With copyrighted material, [ITS] supports the copyright. We don't want to be a de facto agent of the industries. We do that as a form of cooperation," Zenz said. "But being a Hillsdale college student does not provide immunity."
The phrase "file-sharing" typically describes the practice of making electronic files available to other people using the Internet or smaller networks.
"Agencies tracking [file-sharing] say that there's not a lot of it going in and out of Hillsdale," said David Zenz, the executive director of information technology at Hillsdale College.
"If you copy a CD and hand it to another person, that's file-sharing," Zenz said "The problem is when you're sharing copyrighted material."
Sharing copyrighted material is illegal. The recording and motion picture industries sue people who share such material, including Hillsdale students.
The fight over file-sharing
The legality and consequences of sharing files is constantly under dispute, and the recording industry continues to prosecute the perpetrators of illegal file-sharing. On Oct. 4, six record companies won a $222,000 settlement from a Minnesota woman who downloaded and shared 24 songs, according to the Associated Press. Though most of the 26,000 lawsuits filed by the industries since 2003 have settled out of court for a few thousand dollars, students could face fines of $750 to $150,000 for each song illegally downloaded.
In a mass mailing sent to universities across the country this spring, the Recording Industry Association of America called the amount of file sharing on college campuses "extensive and unacceptable." The letter, sent also to Hillsdale's Information Technology
Services, asks for increased cooperation from college administrators and describes ways to discourage illegal downloading.
Zenz said that the recording and motion picture industries have specifically targeted college campuses.
"They believe [colleges] are an unfettered arena for illegal downloads," he said. "In response to file sharing, industries are trying to partner with colleges to provide legal alternatives, such as a campus negotiated service to allow online access to music and movies," Zenz said. He said Hillsdale has no plans to offer such a service, since it considers popular legal methods of file-sharing (such as the fee-based services of iTunes or Napster) sufficient.
Zenz said ITS is mainly concerned with viruses and has never been significantly targeted for file-sharing lawsuits.
File-sharing @ Hillsdale
Hillsdale students generally steer clear of the most common file-sharing methods.
Popular global file-sharing programs, known as "peer-to-peer" networks (like Kazaa, Ares or Limewire), are impossible to use through campus Internet. Zenz said that ITS prevents anyone on the campus network from accessing them.
"According to the Acceptable Use Policy, connectivity to the Internet is not allowed for file-sharing. We lock down the system so that doesn't happen externally," he said.
This has caused student-run networks at Hillsdale, which allow users to access and view files on other network computers. The original network search utility, called "ffsearch," was disbanded when its creator graduated. However, other utilities have popped up to take its place. Only accessible on-campus, students can view everything from sheet music to South Park episodes on campus computers.
Freshman Luca D'Anselmi listens to music that is shared on the network.
"I can find bands that I wouldn't know about otherwise," he said, "and find related bands that sound like them. It's a great way to find music you can really get into."
When questioned about the existence of a student-run network, the ITS director said, "As far as we're aware, officially, we don't know anything."
Sophomore Ben Newman said he downloaded sheet music from a Web site (http://www.imslp.org) until it was shut down for copyright infringement on Oct. 13. "It had everything," he said, "Free sheet music, and I almost had everything I wanted."
Consequences @ Hillsdale<
In the past, students have faced penalties for illegally sharing files, both from media industries and from the college itself.
The first sign of trouble is when the school receives a notice from the industry, said Zenz.
Typically from Sony, the notices are essentially a cease and desist order. After receiving a notice, Zenz said ITS identifies the individual and works with them to delete all the copyrighted material. For a second offense, their Internet port on campus is turned off.
Pat Chartrand, the network and systems manager, said that the school hasn't received any such notices in two years, and that they've never had a second offense.
A Hillsdale student was recently sued by the recording industries. ITS would not release the student's name.
"With copyrighted material, [ITS] supports the copyright. We don't want to be a de facto agent of the industries. We do that as a form of cooperation," Zenz said. "But being a Hillsdale college student does not provide immunity."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 8
finch06
posted 10/25/07 @ 1:29 PM EST
File sharing is going to continue no matter what, even on our campus. The fact is that people our age are so used to it, that they don't really see it as an illegal activity. (Continued…)
Marv
posted 10/31/07 @ 12:22 AM EST
Isn't Robert Fackler still administering the durinDex? According to http://havens.durin42.com/servers/ , there are 1,400 gigabytes of movies, music, television shows, and software shared on the network. (Continued…)
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