Anti-piracy enforcement nabs more students

By Troy Simpson

Less than a month into the fall quarter, Santa Clara has received more notifications of illegal downloads from recording companies than in the entire 2002-2003 academic year, university officials said.

So far this year, Santa Clara removed internet access and disciplined five students as a result of notifications from recording companies. Throughout the 2002-2003 academic year, only four students were disciplined for the same offenses.

In a letter to Santa Clara students earlier this month, President Paul Locatelli, S.J., pointed to federal law and university policies regarding copyrighted material from the Internet.

"Sharing music, videos, software and other copyrighted works in violation of copyright laws is illegal and can expose you and the university to civil and criminal sanctions, as well as sanctions under Santa Clara University's policies," said Locatelli.

Carl Fussell, the director of technology and communications services, said Santa Clara is trying to avoid legal and disciplinary situations altogether by informing students about the dangers of illegal downloading.

"We've tried to make a point of educating the students because clearly there is little doubt that the law is being broken," said Fussell. "We really want students to understand magnitude of the risks they're facing for these activities

According to Fussell, although recording companies have contacted Santa Clara and notified the school of instances of illegal file sharing, no Santa Clara students have had legal action taken against them. The students approached so far this quarter have had anywhere from 170 to 1,700 copyrighted songs stored in their computers.

Fussell said he doesn't believe the recording industry's decision to target individual students is an appropriate way to curb instances of downloading copyrighted material, but that illegal downloads are just that: illegal.

"I certainly don't condone breaking the law and I believe the university has the obligation to educate and try to counter those activities when they occur. There are, at the very least, some ethical issues with an industry going out to make an example of students. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as well," said Fusell.

Senior Natalia Lely said recording industries pursuing individual cases of illegal file sharing may be the only way for them to put and end to the trend.

"I know a couple of people who have actually turned off those programs because they're afraid of the consequences," Lely said.

"I don't know if it's appropriate or not, but it definitely puts the fear in the public's eye and it is away of going about stopping it," she said.