Since the construction of the residence halls, there has been an increase in illegal file sharing, also known as online piracy.
Indiana University fines any student caught engaging in illegal file sharing $50. Violators are required to complete a copyright tutorial or face losing access to the IUS network.
College campuses make it easier to find file sharers because of their large, centralized networks. While Indiana University and its satellite campuses do not conduct piracy searches, the disciplinary responses automatically occur when a notice is sent from the RIAA.
“It has always been our policy to respond to notices from picture companies or the RIAA,” Danny Clements, IT Help Desk lead, said.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 makes IU Southeast liable if it fails to respond and act in accordance to the notice from the RIAA.
The RIAA has computers specifically designated to search for people illegally sharing files. Each computer has a Media Access Control address that is unique to each specific machine. When a person logs in to the network, they receive a distinctive Internet Protocol address the RIAA can trace.
After gaining the IP address, the username required to log in to the network tells them who it was and the MAC address shows what machine the offense was committed on.
Not every student who has illegally shared or received a file will be incriminated. The RIAA computers must catch them in the act of file sharing. Students, however, will not know when the network is being monitored and run the risk of discovery each time they engage in piracy.
Wesley Rose, Computer Services employee, said when one of their computers discovers an IP address sharing or receiving copyrighted material, notification is sent to the IU Information Policy Office. It is then forwarded to the IUS Computer Services department.
A copy of an infringement notice was obtained by The Horizon. Connection type, date of activity, time of activity, IP and MAC addresses and the name of the song being downloaded were included.
Accused students receive an automated e-mail informing them of the $50 charge placed on their Bursar accounts and the steps they must take to prevent their network access from being suspended.
If a network suspension occurs, not only will students lose access to the IUS wireless network, they also lose access to their student e-mail accounts, Oncourse and OneStart.
That, however, is only part of the problem that results from getting caught.
“You may have legal problems,” Clements said. “And now you can’t register online, you can’t view your grades online and you can’t log in to computers if you have a computer class.”
Most online service providers will immediately deny the implicated person access to the network. IU Southeast gives their students 36 hours to take the copyright tutorial before access is suspended.
For a first-time offender, taking the tutorial and passing the 10-question quiz within the first 36 hours will insure that network access remains intact.
If the tutorial isn’t completed within the allotted grace period, access to the network is immediately suspended and the guilty party gains an additional two weeks to complete the instruction.
If the tutorial is not completed after the additional two weeks, the infraction is referred to the dean of Students where further disciplinary action may follow.
Network access will not be reinstated until the tutorial is completed.
Second-time offenders will automatically lose access to the network for two weeks, must complete the copyright tutorial again and pay another $50 fine.
“Usually when a person gets that first notification e-mail, it kind of wakes them up,” Clements said. “I personally don’t know of any second-time offenses.”
Third-time offenders will lose access to the network indefinitely, pay another $50 fine and have the incident immediately reported to the dean of Students.
Once the online tutorial is completed, notification is sent to the IU Information Policy Office and access will most likely be returned.
If a student’s access has been suspended and immediate access to the network is required, going to the IUS Computer Services office and completing the tutorial will allow the office employees to reinstate their username.
Simply confirming the tutorial has been completed elsewhere, however, will not permit them to restore their username.
It must be completed at their office to immediately regain access.
“If I see them do it I’ll go ahead and turn them on right then and there,” Clements said. “It’ll save them a couple of hours.”
Students are encouraged to educate themselves on what constitutes illegal file sharing.
The Web site http://filesharing.iu.edu/index.php includes information on what to do for a copyright infringement notice, lists of illegal file sharing sites and a list of legal alternatives.
By TRAVIS STURGILL
Staff Writer
trsturgi@ius.edu