Posts by Katherine Mitchell
RIAA sends 20 pre-litigation letters to University
By Katherine Mitchell, written on Oct. 19, 2007
The Recording Industry Association of America sent 20 pre-litigation settlement letters to the University yesterday.
The letters identify IP addresses that are accused of illegally file-sharing music over the network. The letters give alleged peer-to-peer file sharers the opportunity to settle with the RIAA’s companies. If users do not respond within 20 days, the trade group threatens to file formal lawsuits against them.
The trade group asks the University to pass the letters along to the IP addresses’ corresponding users.
The RIAA sent 411 pre-litigation letters yesterday to 19 campuses including the University of South Florida (43), the University of Southern California (37) and Vanderbilt University (32).
The pre-litigation settlement letters are part of a an RIAA crackdown on peer-to-peer file sharing on college campuses. The initiative was launched last February, the Michigan Daily reported. The trade group aims to send at least 400 letters per month.
In April, the University received 23 pre-litigation settlement letters. In May, the RIAA issued a subpoena to the University requesting contact information for 12 IP addesses that the trade group’s companies had sued, the Daily reported.
Pre-litigation settlement terms are undisclosed, but federal copyright infringement penalities range from $750 to $150,000 per item.
RIAA wins first file-sharing case before jury
By Katherine Mitchell, written on Oct. 5, 2007
Threat Level, a blog on the a daily technology news website Wired News, posted an article yesterday that a woman in Minnesota was sued and charged for copyright infringement by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The post said the woman was found liable for copyright infringement in the nation’s first file-sharing case to go before a jury.The woman is being charged with $220,000 in copyright infringement penalties for the 24 songs file-shared illegally on her computer, the post said.
The defendant maintains her innocence, though, and claims she is the victim of computer hacking, she said in an article posted on the blog today.
The RIAA has been targeting individuals in peer-to-peer file-sharing cases since 2003. As part of a crackdown on college campuses, the trade group increased the number of complaints issued to university network users tagged illegally file-sharing last winter, The Michigan Daily reported. The University of Michigan received more than quadruple the notices by February of the 2006-2007 academic year than it did during the 2005-2006 academic year.
Last March, the trade group began targeting individuals with lawsuit threats, the Daily reported. Some network users accused of peer-to-peer file-sharing received pre-litigation settlement letters. The letters offered a settlement option to accused users. If the users didn’t accept the offer, the University could be subpoenaed for their information and a lawsuit could be filed against them.
Suit was filed against an RC sophomore in September, the Daily reported.
RIAA issues new batch of lawsuit threats
By Katherine Mitchell, written on May. 2, 2007
The Recording Industry Association of America announced today that it issued another round of pre-litigation settlement letters.
13 universities received 402 letters, including Northern Illinois University, the University of Southern California, the University of South Florida and the University of Tennessee that each received 50 letters.
The letters are sent to IP addresses accused of illegal peer-to-peer file sharing. The trade group asks universities to trace the IP addresses and forward the letters those students.
The letters ask students to settle with RIAA companies out of court. The letters give recipients 20 days to contact the trade group, or the RIAA threatens to subpoena the school for the accused IP address’s name and file a lawsuit against him or her.
The University received 23 pre-litigation settlement letters April 11. Because of the 20-day response period, students interested in settling had to contact the RIAA by May 1.
Jack Bernard, assistant general counsel for the University, said in an e-mail last week that he did not know if students responded to the RIAA’s settlement terms.
Bernard said he would know if students did not respond to the trade group’s offer if the University receives subpoenas for their names or if they inform him.
The pre-litigation settlement letters are part of the RIAA’s effort to crack down on illegal downloading on college campuses. The trade group announced the increased enforcement in early February and sent the first batch of pre-litigation settlement letters February 28.
Student Relations Committee to recommend leasing ordinance changes
By Katherine Mitchell, written on Apr. 16, 2007
The Student Relations Committee, made of representatives from the Michigan Student Assembly and Ann Arbor City Council, has decided on amendments to the leasing ordinance.
The ordinance, passed last April, prohibits 12-month leased properties from being shown or signed by new tenants until 90 days after the current lease period begins unless current tenants sign a waiver.
Student Relations Committee Member and MSA Vice President Mohammad Dar said the Committee decided on two changes that MSA members will present before City Council May 7.
The first amendment changes the showing and signing provision from 90 days to 77 days.
Dar said this change pushes many properties with September leases to November signing and showing dates. He says this will help students secure housing before finals in December.
The second amendment eliminates the ability for a landlord to issue a waiver to tenants.
Dar said eliminating this loophole will make the housing market more equal by restricting a landlord’s ability to sign properties early.
Dar said this change should lessen student confusion about the leasing law. Several students had landlords promise property to them, only to sign the property to another party after the waiver was signed.
Dar said MSA members have the support of Councilmember Leigh Greden (D—Ward 3), who sits on the Student Relations Committee.