Important Reminder about Hazards of Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

The University would like to remind all individuals utilizing its computer network - including students, faculty and staff - that file sharing of copyrighted materials for which persons do not have distribution rights is illegal, is a violation of the university's Code of Computing Practices, and may involve significant legal penalties for which individuals may be personally liable.

Several music industry companies affiliated with the Recording Industry Association of America filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Arkansas alleging that certain unnamed individuals had engaged in copyright infringement in relation to sound recordings ("RIAA litigation").  In June, the companies issued a subpoena to the University of Arkansas for identifying information relating to the alleged infringers and their use of the U of A computer network.

The lawsuit referenced above is entitled: Arista Records LLC, et al v. Does 1-30, No. 4:08-cv-00371-WRW (E.D. Ark. filed April 30, 2008).  A set of the pleadings in the case, as of July 29, 2008, is available from the links below:

These files are all Adobe PDF files and require Adobe Reader to view.