http://www.spamdailynews.com/publish/RIAA_MPAA_alert_40_university_presidents_in_25_states_of_LAN_piracy.asp

"As part of the entertainment industry's efforts to address the ongoing theft of music and movies online by college students, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) today announced a systematic program to identify and curtail campus Local Area Network (LAN) piracy at universities across the country. "

Could the end be in sight? I sure as hell hope not.

How could they implement this without an "insider?"

They tell the campuses that there is illegal downloading, and threaten a lawsuit unless they let them in.

But you don't have to worry, you don't have anything illegal... right?

You could have a very good case here that you are sharing your files so that you can access them at a computer lab. Therefore, it would not be illegal for you. Granted RIAA and MPAA won't really care and will still sue you, but if you had a decent lawyer, if you went to court, you could easily get away with it and set a precidence.

But it should be pointed out that MPAA has already sent letters to some students before for having 'illegal' movies shared. I can't remember if hey were sharing of kazaa or on the network when they were caught though.

i can almost gurantee it was kazaa, bt, or one of those other programs. they ahve no way to access the lan from outside, and even if they did their invading your privacy.. the files on your computer are yours.. the only way there technally public is if you are knowingly sharing a file over a program.. sharing your harddrive over a network is a common practice, so there is no way there gonna be able to get people in trouble for that, and if they do its bullshit

All they need to do is hook a computer up to a computer network and start using some network search programs (there are some other universities use that don't have [CENSORED]) to start this. Really I'd love to stick it to the RIAA, but it won't be that hard to start doing, and they'll probably even get away with it. Sharing your harddrive might be common practice, but if it isn't passworded, then I'll bet they'll say its like sticking a sign outside the door. I'd bet it would fit under the same thing as probable cause for cops as if theres a sign outside the door that says "illegal drugs sold here" or cops walking into random shops see illegal drugs sitting out.

I'd think colleges could stop that by simply not giving access to their networks under either privacy or other guildlines - but I don't think thats worked so far. I'm betting this sortta thing will go on for years and I think its just going to move from place to place in a continual lawsuit fest to give our 350,000 yearly law school grads a job.

Just move to Sweden or something.

If you have shared files that aren't password protected, then you are still sharing copyrighted material. So Will... what you say is wrong.

a comptuer is like a house, i can leave the door of my house open and if u go inside and take stuff or even look around, its still considered breaking and entering.. and or stealing.

so if the riaa gets on to our network and hooks up to your comptues shared files, thats invading your privacy.

least thats the way i see it... though really it doesnt affect me anyways, since im off campus and what not

Where is it written that a computer is like a house?

A computer is like a house. There it has been written.

Anyways, the precedent has already been set that if you are sharing media covered by a copyright, you are allowing others to access that material. Sharing copyrighted media isn't the problem, possessing the copyrighted material is illlegal, sharing it is just a way for them to prove you have it without invading your privacy. You also wouldn't be able to argue that you didn't know other people would then have access to it because you [CENSORED], which shows that you are willing to share it and make it available for others to download.

off topic: first rule of fight club... (i'm eventually going to start cracking skulls around this place)

Now for something completely different.
Yesterday (29th) was my 21st birthday and I went out to a bar at 10:30PM and got a little drunk(shot of Jack and 2 beers) and am still a little drunk. I also went to the store and bought a 6-pack of beer. Yea me!

On that note...

Colleges have been threatened by the RIAA in the past and, even when there were confirmed violations, the schools would uphold a more open network rather than making the system totally restrictive. So to me the debate isn't really whether or not those who share over the LAN are having their rights violated when they're found out but rather will the powers that be stand up for the freedom of the students again?

Really, there's not much stopping them from singling out every single 'offender' on campus. I mean, we can't forget. When you make a copyright infringement you lose all your rights as a human being.

What are these "rights" you speek of? I didn't think that college students had rights.