(This article appeared in the 4/5/04 joke issue)The Recording Industry Association of America announced Friday plans for a new round of lawsuits aimed at stopping college students who illegally download and share music files online.
Hundreds of Penn students were included in the complaint, which was issued two days ago in Federal District Court.
The University apparently voluntarily gave the RIAA a complete list of every student who has listened to an illegal song during their time at Penn.
The RIAA has said they will individually sue every person on that list.
As opposed to previous rounds of lawsuits, April's set will target not only those who share files but also all who download them.
The much larger number of defendants in the upcoming suits marks a departure from the organization's historically more relaxed policy.
RIAA spokesman Jonathon Lamy said, "In light of the continued disregard for federal pirating law, we have decided to take things to the next level."
The next level, as outlined in the press release, includes much stricter prosecution of alleged file sharers. "The [Internet protocol] numbers of hundreds of thousands of illegal music pirates across the country have been collected, and we are getting ready to move to the courts," RIAA President Cary Sherman said.
Sherman added that Penn students are among those primarily being targeted in the upcoming round of lawsuits.
"Penn students have the highest levels of illegal downloading in the country," Sherman said. "This policy sounds harsh, but it is necessary to stop what has become an out-of-control fad among young people. I applaud the University of Pennsylvania for ratting on its lawless students."
"Plus, I doubt that the fines will be much of a financial burden to these kids," he added.
According to Lamy, those sued will face $5,000 in fines.
According to Robert Terrell, a lawyer with the Office of the General Counsel at Penn, many Penn students can expect to be served within the next two or three months and will have scheduled court dates downtown.
Terrell says that he advises that students who suspect that they might be the subject of a suit to begin seeking individual counsel as soon as possible.
"There are only so many good lawyers in the city -- you don't want to be left with a bad one," he said.
"The University can't protect students anymore," Terrell said. "We've warned kids time and again, but it goes unheeded. Looks like this time, the RIAA is finally going to get their message across."
Undergraduate Assembly Chairman and College senior Jason Levy has vowed not to sleep until the University rescinds the list.
"This isn't fair," Levy said while crying. "I've only downloaded a couple of songs, and they were hard-to-find Disney tunes from The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. I just love it when Simba becomes king."
