Can File Sharing Be Stopped?
The purpose of the Internet is to allow computers to communicate no matter where the machines are physically located. The Internet was designed with this flexibility in mind; the idea that computer resources can be dispersed over a massive network was thought of as a convenient way for computers-and their users, to communicate. With that said, the decentralized nature of the Internet is precisely what makes it so hard for corporations to pin down those of us who share files on our computers.
How Do They Know Whose Sharing Files?
Large corporations hire or subcontract computer network experts to figure out who is sharing copyrighted files of the Internet. The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the group leading the pursuit for illegal file sharers. To get the information they need, the RIAA hires other companies to collect the information for them. One of these companies being Media Defender, a company that conducts investigations mainly on Peer 2 Peer (P2P) networks-the networks most responsible for fostering copyrighted material. The company is able to gather information by sniffing data packets as they travel over a computer network. To pinpoint people who share files, these companies [typically] use software that detects network traffic patterns, for instance, a person who shares 5,000 files from his computer, over time, would begin to draw attention to himself, mainly by the amount of traffic that is created when other users (computers) request files from his computer. This-as I mentioned earlier, creates a recognizable pattern overtime that is likely to attract the attention of a company like Media Defender.
The idea that our traffic is being monitored raises an interesting question. What about the activity of users who don’t share files over the Internet, is it possible that users who do not violate copyright laws are having their Internet activity tracked? Yes, it is possible. Possible enough to get Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) to start asking questions about the RIAAs practices. Coleman has called for congressional hearings that delve into how the RIAA identifies and tracks the Internet users it targets. The RIAA has yet to respond with their [exact] methods of information retrieval, but assures Coleman and others that their actions “[…] are entirely consistent with the law as enacted by the U.S. Congress and interpreted by the courts.” Coleman, along with others opposed to the RIAA’s methods, aren’t convinced that what the RIAA says is entirely true. Coleman’s primary concern has to do with the way the RIAA gathers their information, in addition to the ways-if any, the RIAA protects the privacy of the individuals who’re involved. The RIAA has gained some success in the courtroom by using a controversial section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to obtain a file sharer’s information from their ISP. This includes attempts by the RIAA to obtain student’s information from Boston College, and MIT, both schools have yet to handover the students’ information to the RIAA in fear of violating the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, an act that denies them the right to hand over a student’s information without first getting that student’s permission. The reason why the RIAA has been so relentless to catch file sharers has a lot to do with the power the DMCA grants them. Currently, the DMCA allows for copyright holders to obtain information about alleged infringes without first filing a lawsuit-a powerful legal device for copyright owners. This means that a copyright holder can send a subpoena to an ISP ordering the ISP to hand over the information of a user who is suspected of copyright infringement. The problem with this is that the RIAA can take advantage of the DMCA’s [accelerated] subpoena process-without an open legal case. ISP Verison believes that cooperating with the RIAA is necessary, but giving the RIAA a subscriber’s information makes Verison liable for turning over that person’s information. Other ISPs have been reluctant to hand over their subscriber’s information to the RIAA, recognizing that copyright infringement is an illegal act, but violating a person’s right to privacy is also an illegal act.
When an Internet user’s traffic is being monitored, whether by a human administrator, or software, that user’s privacy is being invaded. And there isn’t a sure way for users to get around this. The sheer openness of the Internet is what makes it easy for people including network administrators, advertising companies, Spam robots, and hackers to see what’s being done over a computer network. Nowadays, a person who uses the Internet can do very little but to accept the fact they’re susceptible to privacy lose.
Does This Mean We Can’t Share Files?
A significant problem with file sharing at some colleges has been the amount of network bandwidth the file consume. Sharing large amounts of files saturates network resources and decreases network performance. Here at Plymouth State; however, we’re fortunate enough that we don’t have to worry about this bandwidth problem. Plymouth State University has a machine called The Packeteer, a packet shaping utility that delegates network traffic according to a set of rules-rules that tells the machine what kind of network traffic has bandwidth priority on our network. So does this mean that we can’t share files? No, it doesn’t. However, it does mean that Dr. Who’s email regarding his upcoming sabbatical will reach everyone in the Sci-Fi department before you’ll get a glimpse of the new Jenna Jameson video-I know, it’s a cruel world. This packet-shaping machine just about solves our bandwidth problems here on campus, problem solved right? Well, almost.
If you’re like me you received an email from Dwight Fischer on Monday, September 8, at 1:45 p.m. Dwight Fischer is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) here at Plymouth State University, also known as the Director of Information Technology Services (ITS). Dwight’s job is to oversee all IT projects that the department is involved in, to be sure that technology is being used in a way that supports the strategic priorities of the campus, and to make sure that our network, data, and computing resources remain available, and uncompromised-indeed, a crucial role for our University’s computing decisions.
For those of you who remember, Dwight’s email emphasized a couple of points:
1) The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) is stepping up its efforts to stop file sharing on campus networks. 2) By using file-sharing programs, more specifically, programs that store and share music and video files, you’re putting yourself at risk of being targeted by the RIAA. 3) File sharing programs, as Mr. Fischer wrote in his email, “[…] have awakened a sleeping giant”; it is our job [as students] to use common sense when using file sharing programs.
This means students are not banned from sharing files over PSU’s computer network. What it does mean is that students are expected to be responsible when using file-sharing software over PSU’s network. The email wasn’t to say file sharing is bad, instead, it tells us about what is being done by companies like the RIAA, and what we should keep in mind when using file-sharing software. If a company like the RIAA targets you, PSU cannot do much to protect you, so our only choices are to either ignore it, or to protect ourselves.