twitter's Journal: RIAA tripples Student Harassment

Despite talk about giving up DRM and lawsuits, the RIAA is threatening Universities like never before. Since December they have complained about 15,000 students at 25 schools , already triple the number from last year. Responses vary from school to school.

Under federal law, universities that receive complaints about students illegally distributing copyrighted songs generally must act to stop repeat offenders or else the schools can be sued.

[at Michigan State, an official] meets personally with students caught twice and forces them to watch an eight-minute anti-piracy DVD produced by the RIAA. A third-time offender can be suspended for a semester.

At the University of Massachusetts at Amherst - which received 897 complaints - first- and second-time offenders receive escalating warnings about piracy. After a third complaint, the school unplugs a students Internet connection and sends the case to a dean for additional punishment.

Purdue, which has received 1,068 complaints so far this year but only 37 in 2006, said it rarely even notifies students. ... In a sense, the (complaint) letter is asking us to pursue an investigation and as the service provider we dont see that as our role, spokesman Steve Tally said. We are a leading technology school with thousands and thousands of curious and talented technology students.

"Egregious offenders" are kicked out of school and treated to "expensive civil lawsuits." I can't wait to hear about all the mistakes.