Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSU's cooperation with RIAA wrong
By
Posted: 4/21/04, 1:33 AM EST Section: Opinion
SU should require verification that the students accused of frequent downloading by the RIAA are actually guilty of such an offense. Simply going on the good faith of the accusation violates the very spirit of any academic method this university is supposed to uphold: that the burden of proof lies on he or she who makes the claim.
Furthermore, SU should not hand over the forms they have accused students sign, which are in effect confessions of supposed "wrongdoing." SU should maintain the anonymity of its students in these cases. The cases should be handled internally and be treated no differently from any other Judicial Affairs cases. Increasing Computing and Media Services authority on these matters seems a reasonable compromise. But under no circumstances should SU ever directly or indirectly give the names of its students to the RIAA. SU should be especially wary that they are handing over names in the form of signed confessions.
According to CMS, 63 percent of SU students illegally download songs, movies, and software from the Internet. SU should protect these individuals given the moral ambiguity associated with this issue, and maintain protection until the RIAA realizes the frivolity of their suits against file-sharing and downloading.
Furthermore, SU should not hand over the forms they have accused students sign, which are in effect confessions of supposed "wrongdoing." SU should maintain the anonymity of its students in these cases. The cases should be handled internally and be treated no differently from any other Judicial Affairs cases. Increasing Computing and Media Services authority on these matters seems a reasonable compromise. But under no circumstances should SU ever directly or indirectly give the names of its students to the RIAA. SU should be especially wary that they are handing over names in the form of signed confessions.
According to CMS, 63 percent of SU students illegally download songs, movies, and software from the Internet. SU should protect these individuals given the moral ambiguity associated with this issue, and maintain protection until the RIAA realizes the frivolity of their suits against file-sharing and downloading.
