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U Wash Won't Cite Students on Swapping

Second school defies RIAA request to pass along warning letters

By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 4, 2008 1:58 PM CST
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(Newser) – The University of Washington has become the second Pacific Northwest school to refuse to pass along warning letters from the RIAA to students whose IP addresses were used for illegal downloading. The RIAA considers students liable for any swapping connected with their IP addresses, but the UW, along with the University of Oregon, argues that there's no way to know who was using a computer at a given time.

The RIAA sent 396 letters to administrators at 22 universities in December, offering offending students the option of settling with a "convenient" monthly payment plan or risking an expensive lawsuit. A UW spokesman said further investigation would be required to verify that those students were at fault before passing on the letters.

(FILE PHOTO) New York University student Jennifer Huang downloads music from the Napster site March 6, 2001 in New York City.
(FILE PHOTO) New York University student Jennifer Huang downloads music from the Napster site March 6, 2001 in New York City.   (Getty Images)
Cherry trees bloom alongside the quad on the University of Washington campus.
Cherry trees bloom alongside the quad on the University of Washington campus.   (Wikimedia Commons)
Lead plaintiff's attorney Richard Gabriel in the Recording Industry Association of America lawsuit against Jammie Thomas of Brainerd, Minn. speaks with reporters outside the federal courthouse building in Duluth, MInn, on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007. The jury of six women and six men returned a verdict in RIAA's favor. (AP...
Lead plaintiff's attorney Richard Gabriel in the Recording Industry Association of America lawsuit against Jammie Thomas of Brainerd, Minn. speaks with reporters outside the federal courthouse building...   (Associated Press)
(FILE PHOTO) A New York University student downloads music from the Napster site March 6, 2001 in New York City.
(FILE PHOTO) A New York University student downloads music from the Napster site March 6, 2001 in New York City.   (Getty Images)
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Letters ask for $3000-$5000 settlements; U of Washington checking students
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

U of Oregon stands up for student privacy
New York Times

 
music downloads • file sharing • RIAA • lawsuit • University of Washington • student • University of Oregon

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