Downloading music illegally could be losing popularity nationally, but it remains a problem among University students, said an LSU Computing Services student analyst.
“The number of LSU students that download music illegally has remained high,” said student analyst, Jasmine Ghorashi.
Nationwide, the percentage of college students that download music has fallen from 56 percent to 24 percent, according to a recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
The Pew study reported the steepest decline in student file-sharing occurred in September 2003 after the Recording Industry Association of America filed its first of more than 900 lawsuits against illegal file-sharers.
Some students agree that downloading music is becoming less common, but do not believe that people are concerned with being sued.
“I don’t download music on the Internet anymore,” said Sarah Nichols, a communication disorders sophomore. “When Napster first became popular, I had friends that downloaded hundreds of songs just because they were able to do it. I don’t think anyone is worried about lawsuits, but it’s that the novelty of downloading music is not there anymore. People still download music, but I don’t think it is so common anymore.”
Although LSU currently does not use a security program to block students from illegally downloading music, the University prohibits sharing files from any computer that uses the LSU network, Ghorashi said.
“A student using the LSU network uses a computer that the University connects to the Internet,” Ghorashi said. “Every computer on campus or in any residence hall is connected to the Internet through LSU. This allows Computing Services the power to either activate or deactivate Internet access for every computer, including personal computers in a student’s dorm room, that use the LSU network.”
Students are often unaware that downloading music is against LSU policy.
“Even though I live on campus, I thought that what I did on my computer was my business,” said Tyler Ball, a marketing freshman. “I have never known anyone on campus to get in trouble for downloading MP3s. I guess I will think twice before I download music from now on.”
There are consequences if a student is caught downloading music.
“The RIAA reports any illegal activity that is traced to the LSU network to the University,” Ghorashi said. “LSU must take action against that student or else we could possibly be sued by the RIAA.”
The University must act by temporarily terminating a student’s Internet access. Access is restored when that student signs an agreement that they are aware that downloading music illegally is a crime, Ghorashi said.
Computing Services said many students have had their network access shut down.
Even with consequences, students do not foresee a solution to the illegal file sharing crisis in the near future.
“I don’t think that the LSU policies deter many people from downloading music if they already do,” Nichols said. “People always seem to find ways to break the rules if they really want to break them.”