The Recording Industry Association of America is sending an Ohio University alumnus to Athens for a panel discussion on file-sharing scheduled for Oct. 30.
Jonathan Lamy, who graduated from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in 1995 and became the RIAA's director of communications this year, is one of seven people who've been invited to speak to students about file-sharing.
More than half a dozen groups were invited by Brice Bible, the university's chief information officer, to discuss file-sharing with students at a round-table discussion scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30 in Baker University Center.
The RIAA, which has filed more than 20,000 lawsuits against alleged file-sharers, Ashwin Navin, president of BitTorrent, Inc. and a vocal opponent of the university's crackdown on file-sharing last year and Bob Regan, legislative chair of Nashville Songwriters Association International, have all committed to the discussion. An XM Satellite Radio DJ will moderate the panel.
Tim Vonville, president of Student Senate, and Eddie Ashworth, associate professor of telecommunications and a record producer, also will offer their thoughts as part of the panel.
It's like squeezing a balloon
Vonville said of trying to stop file-sharing. It's just going to pop out on another side.
Jorma Kaukonen, a founding member of psychedelic-rock band Jefferson Airplane, has also been invited, Bible said.
The recording industry sent 100 letters to OU during Winter and Spring Quarters accusing computers on the campus network of distributing music files in violation of copyright law.
Three-fourths of the students associated with those computers paid an average of $3,500 to avoid going to court. Five students are currently facing lawsuits filed in federal district court in Columbus.
OU responded by purchasing software to stop file-sharers, shutting down at least one file-sharing network on campus and signing a contract with a subscription music service to provide free music to students.
Five OU students are now facing lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Columbus and a sixth is fighting to keep the university ' which has received subpoenas for the names of those who didn't settle 'from turning over his or her name to the recording industry.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group that has vocally opposed the RIAA's lawsuits against file-sharers, declined the university's invitation because nobody can attend, said Rebecca Jeschke, EFF media coordinator.
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