Up for discussion: Cautions on illegal file sharing

By the time kids go to college, most parents figure they’ve discussed all the important issues: dating, drugs, budgeting. But there’s one more topic parents may not think to bring up: copyright.

Companies and industry associations monitor peer-to-peer file sharing, particularly the high-speed networks at universities. And when they trace illegal sharing of their copyrighted work to UC Davis — ridiculously easy to do — there are serious consequences, from the loss of access to the UC Davis computer network to lawsuits for thousands of dollars.

“The movie studios, TV studios and software companies care about protecting their copyrights as much as the music industry, and at UC Davis, (violations) can cost you your Internet access,” said Jan Carmikle, UC Davis’ designated agent for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. “‘Free’ can become expensive pretty quickly.”

Peer-to-peer file-sharing uses freeware downloaded to personal computers. The current favorite is BitTorrent, which moves large files in pieces. The user requests, say, the latest blockbuster movie, an episode of the popular anime Naruto Shippuden, or perhaps Adobe Photoshop or the Call of Duty game. BitTorrent will find other BitTorrent-running computers with the requested file, upload pieces from several of them, and then reassemble the file for the user.

The problem? Most material is protected by copyright, and each computer sending a piece of it infringes on those rights. Most Internet users don’t realize that every file traveling on the Internet has something like a postmark, a nine-to-12-digit number, and with that number, finding the computer and user is simple.

Universities required to act

Effective last July, new provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act require colleges and universities to take certain steps to curb illegal sharing of copyrighted materials like music files over their campus networks. They must educate their students on what constitutes illegal sharing, deter them from engaging in such sharing, and develop plans to offer alternatives to illegal downloading.

The Student Computer Guide offers information on illegal file sharing, the risks and how students can protect themselves.

Carmikle says she received notifications of 355 instances of illegal peer-to-peer file-sharing last year, down from a high of 712 a few years ago. Most were traceable, occurring over the UC Davis wireless network on campus.

Consequences

At Davis, culprits lose their Internet access for at least two weeks the first time, permanently the second. That means they have to use a commercial Internet provider, a major inconvenience and expense.

What’s more, copyright owners can subpoena UC Davis for violators’ identities and sue them for thousands of dollars for copyright infringement. Carmikle said suits claim $15,000 and up for each song, and settlement offers range from $2,000 to $4,000.

Requesting files has other risks, too; students might download a computer virus or spyware — software that gathers personal information and allows hackers to access personal files and programs, opening the door for identity theft.

Some peer-to-peer software is designed to be difficult to remove once installed. As with some viruses, computers may have to be “wiped” and everything reinstalled to be certified as clean and allowed back on the UC Davis network.

And all this changes the price of ‘free’ in a click of a mouse.