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p2pnet news view | MPAA:- The Brooklyn Law School says it won’t rat its students out to Hollywood’s MPAA hoods after all.

“Brooklyn Law School has modified the position it took the other day, in which it had indicated it was going to actively investigate who may have been downloading MPAA movies or shows, and turn over the names for ‘enforcement’ purposes,” says Ray Beckerman in Recording Industry vs The People.

Above the Law also carried the story, quoting a threatening letter aimed at student, to wit »»»

This semester we have received several warnings from our Internet service provider that copyrighted movies and TV shows are being downloaded illegally via our wireless network. The Information Technology office is now ascertaining who is doing this. Once we have names of the individuals involved, we intend to give them to the copyright holders for enforcement purposes.

This  “proved unpopular with BLS students, as well as ATL readers,” says the story, going on that in a poll, “about 75 percent of readers answered ‘yes’ when asked, ‘Should Brooklyn Law School do more to protect its students from being sued for illegal downloading’?”

Following that, capitulation. Said Phil Allred in an October 29 email

Subject: [BLS] Update on illegal downloads e-mail noticeYesterday, I sent out an e-mail regarding the recent spate of abuse notices we have received from our Internet service provider. Under our contract, users are prohibited from downloading copyrighted works. If we knowingly allow such activity to continue without taking action, we risk losing access to the Internet.

When we can ascertain the people who are responsible for alleged illegal downloads, we will notify them to cease such activity. We will comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

“Outside of the legal process, we are not obligated to turn over the names of the alleged infringers to copyright holders and will not do so.”

Above the Law also includes “selected comments”, among them »»»

15 – 10, It would also be hypocritical for a BLS representative to utter the word “honor” while ruining the lives of hundreds of twenty-somethings per year.

And »»»

30 – From the research I’ve done on this topic, I believe that the media ownership companies (Viacom, Universal, etc) are going to begin to sue schools where illegal downloading is rampant under some sort of vicarious/ contributory theory (that doesn’t really exist in the law). Although it probably won’t stand up in court, you’re looking at Universal with its billions of dollars vs. Schlub State University who can barely afford to keep toilet paper in the bathrooms. I think the fear of being buried in legal costs is what prompted Brooklyn Law to be proactive rather than reactive.

32 – Seriously?!? This is even a debate? The students broke the law. If the school knows who the students are, they ought to tell the proper authorities. Is it really that hard to understand that a law school would take steps to ENFORCE THE LAW? This is common sense folks. Just because you don’t like the law does not make it optional.

34 – This is pretty shitty. They are not just informing, they are investigating and informing. And no warning to students? I’m sure that the student(s) who are doing the downloading (and who are paying buttloads of $$ to BLS) would have appreciated a warning when BLS first got the notices or otherwise in time to stop.

And finally

“77 – I remember my first day at BLS in 2003 – Dean Wexler (top right) , almost immediately after saying “welcome,” told us that BLS would rat out any students caught downloading music. Very warm welcome.”

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First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Recording Industry vs The People – Brooklyn Law School backs down; will not voluntarily investigate & “name names”, October 30, 2009

Above the Law – Brooklyn Law Won’t Proactively Rat Out Its Students, October 29, 2009

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