UA : U should protect student access to Napster

The music industry took Penn by storm last week when two top artists sent University President Judith Rodin and several other college presidents a letter asking that Napster be banned on campus. Attorneys representing the heavy metal band Metallica and rap artist Dr. Dre requested that Penn ban access through the University Internet service to Napster. Now, Penn's Undergraduate Assembly has voiced its support for student rights to use the Internet music site. On Sunday night, the UA drafted a statement concerning the recent controversy surrounding Napster. The statement said, "The UA has always applauded the Administration for its record of protecting and preserving the individual rights of the student body. We should not let Dr. Dre or Metallica, or threats of litigation dictate University policy." At the meeting last night a motion asking to allow a handful of the members to write the final draft passed unanimously. The letter asked Rodin to respond by September 22. Along with the letter, Rodin received copies of a suit filed by the music industry against the University of Southern California and Indiana and Yale universities. That suit was dropped when the schools agreed to limit their Napster access. UA Chairman and College senior Michael Bassik assured the body that the statement would reflect the opinion of the entire UA. "I think we all pretty much believe the same thing," Bassik said. "Rodin and the administration have a history of supporting students' rights whereas in some cases other universities would not have been as gracious." After the meeting, the UA executive board -- and Facilities Vice Chairwoman and College sophomore Becky Tracy and Technology Chair and Engineering junior Eric Chen -- remained to write the statement. "We didn't want our rights impeded until the courts had decided whether or not it [Napster] is legal," Michael Krouse said. "They [attorneys] are trying to bully the school into making a decision and going about it in a very undemocratic way." Despite the pressure to reply to the artists' request, UA members are confident that the administration will maintain its position. "President Rodin said that they will not do anything until the court ruling comes out," Bassik said. In conjunction with the Napster controversy, PennForum and the UA are sponsoring a debate entitled "Sound Bytes: Napster, Intellectual Property and the University" tonight at 7 p.m. in Vance Hall. Participants include Penn Law School Professor Polk Wagner, Information Security Officer David Millar, College sophomore Arshad Hasan and College freshman Adam Alalouf. Hasan, who is also a member of the UA, supports the position that the possible lawsuit goes against students' rights. "I think our resolution should focus on the free speech issue and that we appreciate that Rodin is waiting to hear from the courts," Hasan said.