RIAA infringement letters: University says return to sender
The Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) campaign to stop college students from illegally downloading music hit a snag recently, as one university doesn't have the student computer records on hand, reports the Associated Press.
The recording industry group has sent out hundreds of letters to colleges and universities giving students a chance to reach settlements before being sued for copyright infringement.
Universities do not give out names and addresses of computer users on their servers, so the RIAA must send notices to the universities and have the letters forwarded to students.
The University of North Dakota, however, does not keep computer user records beyond 30 days and cannot comply with the RIAA's request to forward the letters to two students.
"We're not sending letters to anyone except back to them saying we cannot identify these two people," said UND Information Technology Director Dorette Kerian.
Kerian said UND cooperates with the trade group to identify illegal downloads and warns students against the practice.
The RIAA said it will file federal lawsuits against those who do not settle with them. The minimum damages to be paid under copyright law is $750 for each copyrighted recording that has been shared, the group said.
The association sent letters Wednesday to 13 universities threatening lawsuits against 400 separate computer users for illegal downloading.