How does ECU know I have downloaded music?

ECU does not scan your computer for illegally downloaded songs, movies, and games. The reports come from an outside company. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade group that represents various organizations and individuals within the record industry. One of its main concerns is protecting copyrighted material, such as songs, from illegal use. In pursuit of that, the RIAA has contracted with a company, called Media Sentry, to monitor the trading of all of songs owned by its members.

Media Sentry searches for users who are illegally sharing songs owned by RIAA members. Just by simply right-clicking on a song entry, Media Sentry can see all songs a particular user is offering and his or her IP address. Although the specific person that an IP address belongs to is not public, the name of the Internet-service provider, such as ECU, is available from on-line databases. Media Sentry then notifies the University that someone is illegally sharing copyrighted files within its network and the company requests the removal of the materials. The notice includes the name of the song, the IP address, and the date and time Media Sentry detected it. ECU is then required to match the IP address to the student and to take appropriate action.

Using the University’s system to illegally share music (whether downloading or allowing others to download) is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. It is also a violation of the Computer Use Policy as well as of a federal law, called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities staff meets with students, who are accused of illegally sharing copyrighted files, and discusses the Student Code of Conduct violation.

The best way to avoid violating the Student Code of Conduct is to always pay for your music! For more information, read this article http://chronicle.com/free/2008/05/2821n.htm