San Francisco – U.S. colleges and universities receiving
Title IV federal aid had a deadline of Thursday to implement new anti-piracy
protocols under the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, CNET
News.com reported.
Backed by the entertainment industry, the law requires that
schools inform students of campus copyright policies; use technology-based
deterrents to combat violations; and offer legal alternatives to illegal
downloading, among other things.
CNET noted a range of actions being taken by schools.
At the
University of Kansas, a suspected file-swapper’s access to the Internet and
school information services are suspended until the situation has been
corrected, while repeat offenders can face expulsion from schools including
Marist College and the State University of New York at New Paltz.
"It’s
the first time ever in the history of dealing with the issue that Congress is
holding schools accountable and requiring them to address the problem,"
RIAA president Cary Sherman told CNET.
"Here you have Congress saying ‘Get
off the sidelines and deal with the problem.’ It’s an important signal."
Related Links:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20009386-261.html
Our government should allow businesses to innovate to keep up with the times, instead of catering to their stagnant whims. Where were the feds when kids were dubbing songs off the radio in the 80’s? Give me a break. Be it ignorance or greed or a combination thereof, our elected government is a miserable failure in the back-pocket of big business.