Reply #36: From riaa.com:

[Turbineguy]

531 More File Sharers Targeted In Latest RIAA Legal Efforts


WASHINGTON -- Continuing the enforcement component of the campaign to provide a level playing field for legal online music services, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on behalf of its member companies, today filed a new wave of copyright infringement lawsuits against 531 individual computer users offering substantial amounts of copyrighted music files for free on peer-to-peer networks.

Like the lawsuits brought in January against 532 illegal file sharers, the RIAA utilized the "John Doe" litigation process - which is used to sue defendants whose names aren't known. The RIAA today filed five lawsuits, each of which lists multiple numerical computer addresses, known as "IP" or Internet Protocol addresses. Taken together, the five suits include a total of 531 individual illegal file sharers. This latest round of legal actions was filed in federal courts in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Orlando and Trenton, New Jersey.

"Legal online music services are delivering a high-quality, consumer-friendly experience, and they're attracting new fans," said Cary Sherman, President, RIAA. "But they shouldn't have to compete with businesses based on illegal downloading. That's why we are sending a clear message that downloading or 'sharing' music from a peer-to-peer network without authorization is illegal, it can have consequences and it undermines the creative future of music itself."



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Contacts:
Amy Weiss
Jonathan Lamy
Amanda Collins
202/857-9650



This appears to be directed at "businesses based on illegal downloading" not students.