As previously reported, college and university students are under growing scrutiny for downloading digital files using campus provided ISP access. Brown University is the latest institution in the news to formalize efforts to control the parameters of student use of file sharing applications. Keeping the DMCA (PDF) firmly in mind, and with an awareneess of their escalating bandwidth costs, the university is instituting an education program and implementing policies for the abuse of Internet privileges.
In related news, Rebecca Cohn of the California assembly introduced House Resolution No. 5–Relative to online piracy, adopted by committee on 1/28/2003. It states in part that the “Legislature further requests corporate, governmental, and educational institutions to implement employee policies and technical measures to ensure that their networks are not being misused to infringe copyrighted works..”