University, entertainment industry leaders address campus file-sharing in report to Congress

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Schools with legitimate music, movie services more than triple;
local area networks, iTunes hacks among biggest challenges ahead

Washington, D.C./University Park, PA -- Informed by reports from college and university presidents across the country, the Joint Committee of the Higher Education and Entertainment Communities today (Sept. 21) issued an update to Congress outlining the latest efforts to address illegal file-sharing on campuses and the emerging challenges ahead.

The new report highlights considerable progress during the past academic year in the growth of legitimate music and movie services, the adoption of technological measures, and education and enforcement programs on campuses. According to the report, the number of schools with legitimate services on campus has more than tripled to nearly 70 in the last year. As a result, more than 670,000 students now have access to a legitimate music service through their university -- a number that is rapidly on the rise.

Despite these great strides, the report also cites several key challenges in need of immediate attention within the university community. According to the report, student-run file-sharing systems on schools' Local Area Networks (LANs) as well as the increased use of unauthorized hacks of the legitimate online service iTunes are emerging as significant problems.

"Universities have made impressive progress in combating piracy of music and movies through educational efforts, technical controls, and the adoption of legitimate on-line services," said Graham Spanier, president of Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and the Committee's co-chairman. "At the same time, we in higher education must expand the reach of our efforts and must continue to be vigilant."

"When it comes to file-sharing, students are beginning the new academic year this fall in a vastly different climate than we saw even one year ago," said Cary Sherman, RIAA president and the Committee's other co-chairman. "We are thrilled to see the number of schools offering legitimate services more than triple in the last year and remain hopeful that these partnerships will continue to flourish. At the same time, complacency looms as a constant threat to the tremendous progress we have made. As the landscape changes, so must the anti-piracy programs within the university community. There is much promise in the coming years, but our work is far from done."

Comprised of leaders representing universities, higher education organizations, and music and motion picture executives, the Joint Committee was formed in 2002 to develop collaborative solutions to address illegal file-sharing at colleges and universities.

The committee aims to provide a range of resources to school administrators in three basic areas: educational efforts (including practices surrounding the use of copyrighted works and student responsibility), technological solutions (including computer network management technologies available to reduce illegal file sharing and the development of legal, campus-based music and movie/entertainment services), and examining differences and exploring prospects for collaboration on legislative initiatives.

The report released today will be submitted to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, in anticipation of a hearing to be held by the Subcommittee on Thursday, September 22nd. It is a follow-up to an August 2004 report to the Subcommittee, which has long been focusing on illegal file-sharing on college campuses.