News

Illegal downloads not worth the effort

Emily Philipp
Feature/Entertainment Editor

When people hear the words robbery or stealing, the image of a masked man holding a gun shouting the words “hold em’ up,” “fill the bag” or “don’t be brave” come to mind.

Most don’t think that the thief could be in the next dorm room on a laptop, sitting beside them in the computer lab, or even in many cases themselves.

The fact is by illegally downloading or sharing copyrighted materials students are portraying just that, the image of a thief.

It is the same thing as walking into the store taking a CD from the self, shoving it in your pocket and walking out without paying for it, and yet millions do it.

This is a serious issue that can land students in a heap of trouble and facing consequences far harsher than many would think.

The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) can sue any individual up to $150,000 per song that the individual illegally downloads.

And the criminal penalties can be as high as five years in prison (ten for repeat offenders) and $250,000 in fines. Plus other factors that must be added in are the court and attorney fees.

This is no game, it is a violation of the Federal Copyright laws, and a price will be paid.

According to a recent memo sent to all students, NIACC has also declared that it will cooperate with any civil or criminal investigation involving illegal downloading or sharing of copyrighted materials. And anyone who violates these laws will be subject to prosecution by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DNCA).

NIACC has also made clear that any network access used for these criminal activities will be disabled whether they are college or personal owned, if a DMCA complaint is filed.

This would be bad news for any student.

“If we close your account there is no log in, no e-mail and no classes online,” Bruce McKee, NIACC Instructional Technology coordinator, said. “We know when and where you download. We have the tools to track it.”

Many students also seem to have the mindset that since NIACC is such a small college, its students aren’t at risk of being apprehended.

“Unfortunately, the Music Industry is targeting smaller colleges, and they are more apt to go after someone at a small college,” McKee said.

And because of this threat, the college is at risk of losing internet service for staff and students alike.

Students also need to realize that by condoning and taking part in this illegal activity, many people are hurt in the process.

The CD price doesn’t only go back to the record company. Many people are affected by the sale of the CD.

The co-producer, the engineers, the band, the artists all the way down to the truck drivers who deliver to the stores lose money.

But the artists are the ones mostly affected.

Even though a song may be played over and over all day long on the radio, the artist doesn’t earn royalties off it. They earn money off the sales of CDs and LEGAL DOWNLOADS.

By downloading songs illegally from various sites, students open their computer’s hard-drive to potentially be used by the site and other computer users all over the world.

They are able to install software that uses part of a hard-drive as part of a network to make illegal copies of music, movies and also to access personal files.

It can also turn the computer into a launching point to spread viruses to other computers connected to the internet.

By choosing not to pay legally to download songs, the potential affects are more far reaching than the short-term gain of saving a few dollars.

Your computer can become unusable due to software downloaded or malicious programs launched from other computers offenders are networked with.

This means the paper worked on all night long could be lost, the research paper of two months work gone, the bank account holding all one’s college money could be compromised.

The computer may have to be rebuilt by a professional, costing hundreds.

Also students should be careful of loaning out a laptop or computer, ask what it is being used for, because the student who owns the personal equipment can be responsible for it.

Illegally downloading software may be the “in” thing to do, the lure of free music, videos and software is hard to resist, but for your own sake and NIACC resist the temptations.

This website includes a list of sites for legal downloading http://www.educause.edu/legalcontent.

For more information on NIACC technical policy go to www.NIACC.EDU/techserv/techpol.html.