The Recording Industry Association of America is suing 10 Ohio University students.
Since its crackdown on college music-sharers began in February, the music industry trade group has sent 1,218 pre-litigation settlement letters to colleges nationwide, 100 of which went to OU network users.
If they do not respond to a letter or refuse to pay a $3,000 settlement, the RIAA has threatened to file John Doe lawsuits, which begin with subpoenas for names of file sharers previously identified by their Internet provider addresses.
John Doe lawsuits allow the RIAA to subpoena the university for the names of network users linked to IP addresses. The university is required by law to comply with all subpoenas.
Ten students who received pre-litigation settlement letters in February now are facing those lawsuits, which are filed in federal court. Across the country, 90 John Doe lawsuits have been filed this week against students who didn't settle, according to the RIAA.
No file-sharing case filed by the RIAA has ever gone to trial.
We do not target individual university populations
said Jenni Engebretsen, an RIAA spokeswoman. Schools with greater instances of file-sharing on that campus are more likely to receive pre-litigation settlement letters.
Only users with a university Internet connection are facing scrutiny by the RIAA in its recent crackdown on college students.
The minimum fine per file shared under copyright law is $750, according to the form letter sent out by Holme Roberts and Owen, a law firm representing the four largest U.S. record labels.
If we do not hear from you within (20) calendar days from the date of this letter then we will file suit against you in federal court reads a portion of the letter.
More than 2,214 copyright holders have sent letters to OU this academic year complaining that their content is being distributed from the university network, but only the RIAA has sent pre-litigation settlement letters.
Fifty such letters arrived at the university last week as part of the third batch of the RIAA's campaign. Engebretsen would not say whether those letters were for file-sharing that occurred after the first batch of RIAA notices in February, which also included 50 letters to OU.
More of the pre-litigation settlement letters have been directed at OU than any other college nationwide.I don't think there's a rhyme or reason why we're at the top of the list
said Richard Carpinelli, associate vice president for budget and operations. I think (file-sharing) is just as prevalent here as anywhere else.
The university will continue to forward RIAA letters to and hold information sessions for students, Carpinelli said.
I'm concerned about G? the level of effort we're having to put into this to serve a third party at a time of limited resources
said Brice Bible, who will assume the chief information officer position today. This is not a good use of the technical resources we have.
Copyright complaints are handled by the university's four-member information security team, which matches IP addresses identified in complaints with physical locations or OAK IDs for wireless users.
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