  By MacKenzie Craven, Senior Writer A freshman was last week accused by the Recording Industry Association of America of using his computer network card to copy MP3s. Ankit Patel, a business major, is one of at least six students since November who have been accused by companies like the RIAA of "bootlegging music files off of the Internet," according to Tobias Braiser with the Division of Libaries and Information Systems. The Office of the Provost has given Computer Services permission to disconnect the network from the student's rooms. Computer Services is obligated to disconnect from the network any computer operating a server without proper permission. Patel and the other students have been called into Computer Services, and their network access has been removed from their computers. Patel claims that the copying wasn't done from his computer. He believes the wires were mixed up, causing RIAA to wrongly identify his computer. "I think someone on the hall has done this," Patel said. "Either they've got a program or somehow the USC program that was scanning it wasn't efficient enough, but when they scanned it, it turned out it makes it look like it was coming my computer.
" According to Brasier, Computer Services can find out which sites students access. Each computer hooked up to the network is assigned a number, and each part of the mainframe (e-mail, Websites) has a different log number. Computer services monitors which computer accesses which site and has tools that can help detect if a networked computer is operating any servers, including FTP servers, which distribute music files.
Students aren't allowed to operate servers from their on-campus dorm rooms. Braiser warned that students should be aware of the seriousness of this issue. Eventually, he said, the RIAA will not be so lenient with students. The system is orchestrated so the university protects students. The RIAA can look up a computer's number and the university's name, but not the student's name, when they suspect copyright problems. The university is contacted, and it proceeds by matching the student with computer number. For Brasier, the message is simple: "Don't infringe on someone else's copyright," he said.
To prevent problems, Brasier recommends that students be aware of everyone who has access to their computers because it only takes a few minutes for someone to access a Web site and download a file. According to the RIAA Web site: "Recording artist and record companies are excited about the opportunities that the Internet offers. "But if a viable marketplace is ever to evolve from these opportunities, the rights of recording artists and record companies must be respected. That means that uses of music on the Internet must be licensed.
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