RIAA Expands Scope Of Illegal File-Sharing Lawsuits Against Student Abusers Of Internet2

University Network Users at 20 New Schools Cited in Latest Round of i2hub Litigation

WASHINGTON - May 26, 2005 - The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on behalf of the major record companies, today announced a second wave of copyright infringement lawsuits against abusers of the specialized, high-speed university computer network known as Internet2. By adding 20 new schools to the list of those with students targeted previously in Internet2 litigation, the RIAA has significantly expanded the scope of its response to this egregious form of music theft popular on college campuses.

“As long as students continue to corrupt this specialized academic network for the flagrant theft of music, we will continue to make it clear that there are consequences for these unlawful actions,” said Cary Sherman, President, RIAA. “With the multitude of legal music alternatives available to students today, there is simply no excuse for this ongoing, illegal downloading on college campuses.”

Last month, the music industry filed lawsuits against students at 18 campuses using the file-sharing application i2hub to download and share music on the Internet2 network. Today’s lawsuits – against students at a total of 33 schools – build on the industry’s effort to combat theft on Internet2 – increasingly the network of choice for students seeking to steal copyrighted songs and other works on a massive scale.

Included in the new round of litigation announced today are lawsuits against 91 students attending the following schools: Boston University, Brandeis University, Brown University, Columbia University, DePaul University, Drexel University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Indiana University, Lehigh University, New York University, Princeton University, Rice University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Saint Louis University, State University of New York – Binghamton, State University of New York – Buffalo, Ohio State University, Tufts University, Tulane University, University of California – Berkeley, University of California – Davis, University of California – Los Angeles, University of California – San Diego, University of Delaware, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, University of Missouri –Rolla, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, University of New Hampshire, University of Southern California, University of Toledo, and Wake Forest University.

In addition to the lawsuits filed today against students on college campuses, the industry also filed new “John Doe” suits against 649 individuals illegally distributing copyrighted music on the Internet via unauthorized peer-to-peer services such as KaZaa, LimeWire and Grokster.

“Whether it’s done on a computer at home or one in a college dorm room, the act of theft is one and the same,” said Sherman. “These lawsuits have had a significant educational impact on the public and have helped to arrest the staggering growth of digital music theft. We will continue to aggressively pursue them.”

#####

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.