Caution urged in file sharing on Patriot Internet

Dr. Howard Patterson, vice president of student affairs, sent an e-mail to all students explaining the violation and possible consequences for downloading and sharing copyrighted music and movies.

“While file sharing or downloading software itself may be lawful, downloading or sharing of copyrighted songs or movies without the artist’s consent usually is a violation of federal copyright law should not be done and can result in expensive fines,” Patterson said.
He said the Recording Industry Association of America made college students the concentration for legal action over the past 18 months.
Patterson said KaZaA, LimeWire and BitTorrent are popular file-sharing programs targeted by RIAA.
He said students ultimately risk being sued in federal court, which comes at no small cost.
“Typically, it will cost the student a minimum of $3,000 to settle a case at this stage,” Patterson said.
He said the RIAA typically sends a pre-suit settlement notice to the Internet service provider of the person in violation.
Patterson said the University receives the notice if the person in violation downloads illegally while connected to on-campus Internet, which can be beneficial.
“The UT Tyler Information Office, in conjunction with the networks and operations department, will make every effort to identify and, as a courtesy to the student, notify them of the potentially serious legal situation,” Patterson said. “The notice will inform the student of the violation and offers a chance to settle before being sued in federal court.”
Students living at Ornelas Hall and Patriot Village use Internet provided by the University, paid for as utility costs. Students living at University Pines have the option to either purchase University-provided Internet or purchase Internet through Suddenlink. The University also provides Patriot*Air, accessible in most classroom buildings.
David Kelley, senior human resources development major, is a resident at Patriot Village. He said the e-mail sparked fellow residents to do their own research about illegal downloading.
“When the e-mail was sent out, all the people downloading were trying to figure out if they were at risk of getting in trouble with the law,” Kelley said. “I think it scared people.”
Kelley said a representative from the networks and operations department visited his computer applications class and discussed monitoring students downloading large amounts of files.
“They told us that if anyone is downloading excessively and using too much bandwidth, it sends them a red flag and they’ll shut off your connection for 24 hours,” he said.
Patterson urged students to avoid illegal file sharing altogether.
“It is wrong, is illegal conduct and is not worth the risk and serious problems that can result,” he said.