The Recording Industry Association of America released a copy of its most recent lawsuit, which includes potentially four members of the Boston University community, according to Associate General Counsel Crystal Talley.
Talley said the lawsuit, filed Oct. 26, states that four BU Internet Protocol addresses were located as sites for downloading files illegally. It targets 17 schools nationwide.
“They have identified four ‘John Doe’ defendants,” she said. “They identify in the complaint the IP addresses.”
It usually takes several weeks for BU to notify the students of the actions the RIAA is taking against them, BU spokesman Colin Riley said. “The subpoena is being issued and we are to identify individuals and turn those names over to them,” he said.
Previous lawsuits between the RIAA and BU students have proceeded similarly with university involvement, Talley said.
“My expectation is that we will follow the same process we followed in the past,” she said.
Riley said most students are not hearing about the consequences of illegal file sharing.
“The advice is pretty simple,” he said. “If you have illegal material on your computer, and it’s available to download, you are putting yourself at risk.”
The issue extends beyond students in terms of responsibility, Riley said. Parents should be involved in the process as well.
“Parents need to be asking their daughters and sons, ‘Do you have illegally copyrighted material on your computer that can easily be found, and do you run the risk of being sued by the RIAA?'” he said.
School of Hospitality Administration junior Vincent Stipo was notified Oct. 5 that he was being sued by the RIAA.
“I am being sued for alleged infringement in connection with unauthorized file sharing and improper downloading,” he said.
Although the RIAA continues to sue more students for illegal file sharing, Stipo said students will not stop downloading music.
“It is not going to prevent other people from illegal activity,” he said. “The only way to really stop file sharing and downloading is to make downloading programs such as i2hub and LimeWire illegal.”
Stipo said students will not stop downloading just because a few students have been caught and sued.
“There are too many kids,” he said, “and they will always play the odds. Do people stop gambling just because they know a bunch of people that have lost everything doing it? You can apply it to any type of situation.”
Mass Communication professor T. Barton Carter said it is impossible to deter everyone from downloading files, but it may decrease slightly because of the RIAA suing students.
“There are indications that it has reduced it,” he said.
Stipo said suing students is not the most effective way of punishing them and setting an example.
“Instead of making it illegal and having a dollar amount to be paid, maybe a punishment that fits the crime [would be better],” he said, “like taking all the music off of their computer.”
Carter said the RIAA targets well-known schools to make an example of how file sharing has severe consequences.
“Big universities get you more publicity,” he said.