3 IU students named in RIAA lawsuit

Three IU students were named in a lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association of America Thursday, according to a press release. The students are accused of copyright infringement stemming from use of peer-to-peer downloading programs on the IU network.\n“Just as we hold accountable the sites themselves for encouraging this illegal activity, we must also hold responsible the individuals who disregard the law,” said Steven Marks, executive vice president and general counsel for the RIAA in the press release. “Because of the multi-billion dollar decline in music sales due to the theft of music, the record labels’ ability to invest in and promote new artists is seriously compromised. Given the growing number of legal services in today’s digital market that offer high-quality, hassle-free and affordable music, the message to music fans is simple: don’t risk it, pay for it.”\nThe lawsuit was filed against network users from 16 colleges and universities, including the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin and Purdue.