P2P War Stories: Tales from the Trenches

As campuses receive an increasing number of DMCA notices and settlement letters, and as more and different technological solutions of varying worth arrive and new legal threats emerge, IT organizations struggle to understand the law and create the right educational, disciplinary, technological, or market approaches that best correspond to the culture, tradition, and missions of the institution. In this session we will delve into the history of P2P file sharing; explain the basics of the applicable laws, including the different standards and methods used by the RIAA to protect its rights; and tell the stories of two campuses with very different DMCA experiences. We will discuss the different ways that colleges and universities respond to DMCA notices and subpoenas and touch on the new language in the 2008 Higher Education Reauthorization. We will close with an audience discussion of how we got here and where we go next.