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December 7, 2004
New program educates potential downloaders
Ben Lohmeier
Mesa Legend
Ever since Napster was shut down for illegally pirating music to internet downloaders for no charge, there have been countless web sites like Kazaa, LimeWire and IMesh which allow people to download anything from a single track of music to entire movies and even computer software.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is trying to help put a stop to the illegal piracy of software. In doing so, the BSA has recently jump-started a new program, “Define the Line” at www.definetheline.com. On the website, legal and illegal downloaders can find recent press releases from the BSA, as well as other information.
In a recent press release, the BSA stated that the program is designed to educate students about the importance of being good cyber citizens and respecting the intellectual property of copyrighted works online and encourages students to use only legal software.
“Define the Line” was produced to inform students about not using illegal software, the repercussions of what can happen if they choose to break the law, and how to embrace the use of legal software.
In another press release, BSA Vice President Diane Smiroldo said, “We believe that colleges and universities, in their mission to objectively serve their students, will find “Define the Line” to be a valuable educational resource in raising awareness among students about the importance of being good cyber citizens.”
“Faculty, administrators, and students are realizing the seriousness of illegal downloading and file sharing on university campuses. There are potential legal liabilities and technology downsides that simply aren’t worth the risk,” Smiroldo added.
A BSA-Ipsos Public Affairs study that consisted of 1,000 students and 300 faculty and administrators, said that 32 percent of students in high school and college are paying for copyrighted software most of the time.
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