Ok, so you’ve all had a chance to look through the Online IST 110 Challenge for this semester so I thought I’d get you moving in the right direction. First of all, tomorrow, Tuesday 10.12.2004, Dr. John Bagby will be our guest lecturer … He has posted an entire site that you NEED to look over before class tomorrow … make sure you do it!
Dr. Bagby is a senior faculty member here in the School of IST focusing on policy and legislative issues in IT. Dr. Bagby is a very well published author and an excellent lecturer and all around good guy. He will be talking a bit about the realities of the file sharing issue … he asked that you all be prepared to discuss the issues and said he wanted you to look over some basic information. Thanks to our TA, Paula Bach, we have several good sources of information. I’ll just drop the links in without editorial notes … just go and get caught up on this stuff!
Overview of the digital millennium copyright act
Many links (including video) of the Napster case
Webopedia DRM def’n
“DRM is moribund” from Compaq research center
Press release from Grokster that they are not guilty of copyright infringement
Links about legal issues surrounding DRM
I also came across this little article about the MPAA asking the Supreme Court to rule on P2P cases that were already settled … they are looking for the Court to overturn a ruling that absolve networks for P2P violations of its users. Quick, easy read–>
I am not really apart of the whole illegal file sharing industry. I don’t really have time to download music, games, movies, etc. and from what I heard that the quality isn’t always up to par with some of the material. I would much rather just go to wal-mart and buy whatever it is I want. Plus, I had some friends get busted by PSU and that doesn’t seem like a very fun process at all!
However I realize that it is illegal and hundreds of thousands of people are involved in downloading copyrighted material. I don’t think it is fair for the government to only try to shut down napster…what about all of those other companies. Why don’t we hear about those court cases. Also, even if the gov’t could shut down one, another program would be created. That is why there are so many different programs we can get access to for downloading.
I think the only way to solve this problem is to put something into the file that won’t let it be burned onto a disc. Also, I think the quality issue is a good way to stop people from downloading because if only half of the song works, no one wants that and would probably stop trying to download that file. I am interested to see what Prof. Bagby has to offer our class because I am sure that students are in the age group that accounts for stealing the most files.
I really am not all that up to date on the whole P2P scenerio. I did learn a lot from what our speaker told us. I think the Govt is doing the right thing in taking care of those who diliberately copyright various works. I mean for those who just want to burn cd’s to listen to, then it’s a different story. I believe it should be allowed. It would make me feel a lot better about doing it myself.
I think that the only way that P2P servers will be shutdown is if the law changes. As the articled stated, these companies are building the technology so that they are “getting around the law”. If the law doesn’t change, they more and more companies and people will continue to file share copyrighted information. To get the law to change though will take many years and a lot of fighting between companies and the MPAA and RIAA. Until the government steps in and recognizes that there is a problem with P2P, people will continue to download music. I know that I don’t feel as though I will get in trouble from downloading. There aren’t strict consequences for violaters and people don’t think that they will be caught. I think even if the current P2P companies get shutdown, there will always be some kind of new technology or new program that will get around the law. Technology is always evolving, people will become more innovative and create new programs that won’t be covered under the current or future laws.
I dont know what kind of law would prevent as many people from downloading as there is now. Its already been a controversial issue yet it doesnt seem to be going anywhere. Its banned from PSU but rescom shows you hot avoid getting caught, I feel like theres always going to be a well known way to get around it.
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