Prosecution could be the price students will pay for illegallydownloading music and movies through their University of MemphisInternet accounts.
The U of M has recently received several formal complaints fromthe content provider industry about copyright infringements bystudents.
Last month, members of the U.S. House of Representatives urgeduniversity officials to crack down on illegal trading oncampus.
"We are very concerned," said Doris Kirby, executive assistantfor legal and internal affairs at The U of M. "These companies havesuggested that they are willing to sue individual students ifuniversities do not take steps to educate their online users."
Kirby said about a month ago film and music studio executiveswarned universities they would pursue penalties for illegaldownloads. Since then, every morning her office has received atleast one or more complaints, she said.
"We've never received these kind of mass complaints before,"Kirby said. "Most students are not bad people deliberately out tobreak the law. They just don't realize the seriousness."
Kirby said her office does not give out the names of theviolators, but those students are directed to The U of M Office ofJudicial and Ethical Programs to face possible penalties under theStudent Code of Conduct.
"Depending on the severity of the situation students couldtemporarily be denied online access or face suspension orexpulsion," said Dwayne Scott, associate dean of JudicialAffairs.
Authorities have successfully prosecuted students across thecountry.
"We are not unique. This is a problem that every college anduniversity in the country is facing," said James Penrod,vice-president of Information Systems. "It's relatively new andit's pretty rapid(ly growing) on the Internet at this point."
To combat the problem, record companies are now offering musicdownloads for a monthly fee.
"They're trying all kinds of things," said David Wray, associateprofessor of music. "But I don't see how you can stop it. For everyNapster that is closed down, there's two or three more sprouting upto replace it."
Wray also questioned companies' abilities to police Web sitesoutside the United States.
"The record labels are not a sympathetic entity," Wray said. "Itcosts less than a dollar to manufacture CDs. Then they sell them inthe store for $18.99."
Wray said record sales have significantly dropped over the lastfew years, most likely due to the popularity of illegaldownloads.
"I don't usually get music off the Internet," said Jeff Rush,junior philosophy major. "I like to support the artists. Butsometimes if I don't like all the songs on an album, I'll get afriend to download a song."
Rush said he believes several people download from theInternet.
"A lot of people around here don't have extra money to buymusic," he said.
