“At this time, it has come to our attention that you have
made available the following files at the following
times.”
Certainly more chilling letters have been received in the mail.
But beneath the bureaucratic language lies a real threat to music,
video and software enthusiasts who have found illegal downloading
more valuable than paying for their interests.
Whether it’s “Desperate Housewives,”
“Lost,” or the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album,
industry representatives or hired watchdogs browse illegal
downloading services for the same material you do. The difference
is, instead of downloading media, they’re taking down
offending IP addresses. And the result of your UCLA address
appearing is a letter from Dean Kenn Heller in your mailbox.
In April, UCLA initiated the “Get Legal” campaign to
help students avoid these letters. Yet music, video and software
piracy remains an attractive option for many students on campus and
off. As places where creation of intellectual property is
inextricably linked to success and recognition, however,
universities have found themselves in a realm of conflicting
interests. Students express an ideology of access, while record
companies express one of ownership. Those representing
universities, such as Heller, are caught in the middle.
“How significant is the creation of intellectual property,
and why should you or I be concerned? Let’s say that you turn
in a paper and a professor smiles and scans it to his computer,
telling you it will be posted online without your name,”
Heller said. “If you are not in an environment protective of
intellectual property, why create?”
The Get Legal campaign has worked closely with iTunes, Mindawn
and Ctrax, Cdigix’s free music download service, to address
this problem. But whether they’re involved with piracy,
students can easily answer the question of downloading ethics.
“I don’t download because I’m scared of the
whole process, not because I think it’s immoral. I just think
it’s another way things are changing,” said Chris
Landingin, a third-year anthropology and psychology student.
Many more find the benefits overwhelming. Sarah, a second-year
student (who chose to go by only her first name for this story for
fear of legal ramifications) who resides on campus, feels that in a
culture of students who condone the activity, it’s difficult
to feel like downloading is as wrong as industry representatives
understand it to be. In the absence of seeing any real-world
consequences for herself and those around her, she will continue
downloading substantial amounts of music.
“It’s a double-edged sword, because huge bands will
make less money because shallow radio listeners will probably just
download the single and reduce CD sales,” she said.
“Downloading helps people to explore new music without
purchasing CDs, and if I find a band I enjoy, I’ll go out and
support them.”
To sway students’ opinions about piracy, Ctrax decided to
waive its $3 monthly fee. Laurie Rubenstein, a PR representative
for Cdigix, hopes students will take advantage of the deal. Ctrax
has a catalogue of over 2 million tracks, including songs from all
four major record labels and 28,000 independent labels.
According to Jonathan Curtiss, manager of tech development at
UCLA, 500 students have begun using Ctrax. Though the numbers may
seem small, he considers the results promising, especially in light
of limited advertising efforts.
However, even if word spreads about the program’s
extensive and free catalogue, prospective Ctrax users will be
forced to face some of the limits of legality. There are inevitable
gaps in selection (no Beatles), and the to-go option of illegal
sharing isn’t so easily managed under the law. However,
getting legal, according to Rubenstein, may ameliorate some of the
fears preventing students from downloading music online.
“In terms of benefits, when you download to your computer
there will be no danger of spyware,” Rubenstein said.