AfterDawn: News

NCSU encourages students to push RIAA back

North Carolina State University (NCSU) is reportedly advising students that have been targeted by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to push back. The University's Student Legal Services department has been advising students to fight back all the way to federal court. NCSU is one of many Universities in the U.S. that received pre-litigation notices from the RIAA in February.

The RIAA targeted the unidentified students and offered an early settlement option to avoid going to court. Some universities were quick to comply with the RIAA and forward the notices on to students while others insisted they are not capable of identifying the students based on the information they received.



NCSU did forward the notices on to students but only one of the targeted students came forward to settle, while 23 others face a "John Doe" lawsuit instead. The director of student legal services at NCSU, Pam Gerace said that the RIAA said it might have use for the names in the future and so advised students not to give away their identities yet.

Once the RIAA gets the names of the students from NCSU however, they will no longer be able to hide behind the University.

Source:
Ars Technica

Written by: James Delahunty @ 17 Apr 2007 18:56

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• 8 comments

• tabletpc

  i would fight back the RIAA has no rights to search collage campus servers or computers it violates freedom of speech and censorship i hope the RIAA gets a royal butt pounding lawsuit against there butts and lose

  17.4.2007 21:02 #1

• Dunker

  Rock on! It's time somebody with some clout decided to take on the RIAA! NCSU, you rule. Crap, I didn't even attend and I just might have to send in a donation! :)

  17.4.2007 23:38 #2

• duckNrun

  While I am no fan of the RIAA I am unsure that they have been 'illegally searching' university servers etc.
  
  From what I gather they are simply harvesting IP addresses of computers that they connect to, computers that are set up by someone (student, the IT personel??) to allow said connection to take place.
  
  It's like some guy standing on a street corner asking people passing by if they would like to buy some dope and then getting all pissed off about illegal search and seizure when the cops come to bust him.
  
  And as for how NSCU 'rules' PLEASE read the last sentence of the article...
  
  Quote: Once the RIAA gets the names of the students from NCSU however, they will no longer be able to hide behind the Universitywhich implies that while the student legal dept is advising the students not to settle at this time the university IS NOT refusing to cooperate. In fact it HAS cooperated by forwarding the letters on to the students in question. Also from this one cannot infer that NCSU will refuse to give the names to the RIAA or will even refuse to cooperate with the RIAA in the future.. nor can one infer that even if they do refuse to cooperate when the university is sued by the RIAA that if the courts so order it that the people in charge will refuse to comply and risk contempt charges.

  18.4.2007 00:15 #3

• mglez86

  i would say that they rule if the university was helping them, but they are only encouraging them to do so, it does not say that they are going to get any help, so what about when they to push back? they will be on their own, and probably in a lot of trouble!

  18.4.2007 06:29 #4

• capnJayd

  Well, at least their spending millions of dollars on something worthwhile, like busting some college nerd for downloading a video. At least they're not using their masses of financial, and man-power, resources to, oh, I don't know...help stop hunger?
  Still, I'm going with duckNrun, in that the article doesn't say anything about illegal searches. (although having some non-official company watching the moves you make on yer computer? creepy...)

  18.4.2007 18:10 #5

• borhan9

  Leave the students alone. They are only studying :)

  18.4.2007 22:29 #6

• SamNz

  RIAA are deluded if they think they can stop piracy its never going to stop
  
  and good shit NCSU

  18.4.2007 23:47 #7

• procode

  In the UK, even the TV licensing authority do NOT have the right to view University records .. !!
  
  And UK Universities do NOT respond to anyone's intimidation .. !!
  
  Sure, some Unis will pay, but they will not share the student's details with anyone .. !!
  
  Procode .. ;)

  19.4.2007 15:26 #8