Campus Music Theft Gets Congressional Spotlight

Citing Need for Greater Accountability from Administrators, Congressman Requests Future Industry Reporting of Piracy Notices Sent to Universities

WASHINGTON - March 08, 2007 - In the wake of news that universities are receiving more than three times the copyright infringement notices previously sent by record companies and the announcement last week of a new and strengthened campus anti-piracy initiative by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), lawmakers today focused their attention on the problem of campus music theft in a Congressional hearing. 

Citing the need for more accountability on the part of university administrators in combating this problem, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, called for the movie industry to release a list of the schools receiving the greatest number of copyright infringement notices – just as the recording industry recently did.  In addition, he asked both the music and movie industries to report to him in six months with updated lists of the top schools receiving these notices.

While the music community’s educational and deterrence efforts have helped stem the illegal downloading problem generally, music theft on college campuses remains particularly acute.  A survey by Student Monitor from Spring 2006 found that more than half of college students download music and movies illegally, and according to market research firm NPD, college students alone accounted for more than1.3 billion illegal music downloads in 2006.  While college students represented only 10 percent of the sample in the new online NPD study, they accounted for 26 percent of all music downloading on P2P networks and 21 percent of all P2P users.  Furthermore, college students surveyed by NPD reported that more than two-thirds of all the music they acquired was done illegally.

While organizations such as the Joint Committee of the Higher Education and Entertainment Communities have made progress and a number of individual institutions have taken proactive steps, RIAA President Cary Sherman reiterated in his testimony the need for all university administrations to do their part to address this continuing problem.

“We invite colleges and universities to work with us to help reduce the need for lawsuits like the ones we initiated last week,” Sherman stated in testimony before the Subcommittee.  “We invite them to reclaim the integrity, efficiency, and legal use of their networks.  We invite them to safeguard the value of the intellectual property that defines them.  And we invite them to step up as moral leaders, to ensure that their students understand that stealing online is still stealing, and to teach them how to be responsible citizens in the digital world.”

Last week, the RIAA launched a new anti-piracy initiative focused on the university community – a significant escalation and expansion of the industry’s enforcement efforts, coupled with the implementation of a new process that gives students the opportunity to resolve copyright infringement claims against them before a formal suit is ever filed.  In the initial wave of this program, the RIAA sent 400 pre-litigation settlement letters to 13 different universities, with each letter informing the school of a forthcoming copyright infringement lawsuit against one of its students or personnel.

In addition, the RIAA is sending “notices” to colleges at a rate more than three times higher than the previous academic year.  While distinct from lawsuits and pre-litigation settlement letters, these notices – letters informing a college of an individual on campus illegally distributing copyrighted songs and requesting that the university take down that illegal content – are another ongoing means of enforcement against campus music theft.  According to industry officials, the greater number of notices does not necessarily indicate a growing problem, but rather an improved ability to track illegal file-trafficking due to technological advances.

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[The Recording Industry Association of America is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes our members' creative and financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA® members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States. In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists; conducts consumer, industry and technical research; and monitors and reviews state and federal laws, regulations and policies. The RIAA® also certifies Gold®, Platinum®, Multi-Platinum™, and Diamond sales awards, as well as Los Premios De Oro y Platino™, an award celebrating Latin music sales.]

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The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies. Its members are the music labels that comprise the most vibrant record industry in the world. RIAA® members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate recorded music produced and sold in the United States.

In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect the intellectual property and First Amendment rights of artists and music labels; conduct consumer, industry and technical research; and monitor and review state and federal laws, regulations and policies. The RIAA® also certifies Gold®, Platinum®, Multi- Platinum™ and Diamond sales awards as well as Los Premios De Oro y Platino™, an award celebrating Latin music sales.