Internet2.edu, home of the Internet2 community which includes 206 U.S. universities, over 70 corporations, and nearly 50 affiliate and associate organizations encompassing nearly 4 million people is speaking out against illegal file sharing. The experimental network, which enables researchers, teachers, and students to work in ways not possible on the commercial Internet has been demonstrated to transmit a DVD in around 30 seconds.
The RIAA said yesterday it will sue over 400 students with access to Internet2 for copyright infringement.
From Internet2.edu.
Illegal file sharing has been an issue of major concern throughout higher education, including the Internet2 community, for some time. We have supported our members as they have taken steps to stop it. We absolutely do not condone it. It violates the Abilene Network's Conditions of Use (CoU), by which every connected Internet2 member has agreed to abide. It also is generally prohibited by the Appropriate Use Policies (AUPs) that govern the use of the campus networks at Internet2 member institutions, and Internet2 members have an excellent track record of dealing with copyright violations and other infractions of these AUPs.
"This next generation of the Internet is an extraordinarily exciting tool for researchers, technologists and many others with valuable legitimate uses," said Cary Sherman, President, RIAA. "Yet, we cannot let this high-speed network become a zone of lawlessness where the normal rules don't apply
It is alleged that students are using a file-sharing application known as i2hub with Internet2. The RIAA said "Students find i2hub especially appealing because they mistakenly believe their illegal file-sharing activities can't be detected in the closed environment of the Internet2 network."
I2Hub Founder Wayne Chang said in a statement that i2Hub "does not condone activities and actions that breach the rights of copyright owners."
RIAA believes another 140 schools may be involved as well. "While these schools were not included in the initial round of lawsuits, letters are being sent to each university president alerting them to the illegal activity occurring on their campus," said an RIAA statement.
