Thanks to johnathonm for his submission to the front page.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said it sent 400 letters to 13 U.S. universities advising of potential copyright infringement lawsuits against students who use their computer networks to swap songs they haven"t paid for. The industry group is asking the universities to notify students they will be sued, but can settle the cases online, at a site the organization has set up, before any lawsuits are filed. RIAA said it will send out hundreds of the letters each month in an effort to stamp out music theft by students. Under the settlement deal offered by RIAA, students would have to pay a fine and sign a statement promising they would no longer download music illegally. A University of Richmond study found that more than half of college students downloaded music and movies illegally, the RIAA said. "We need to address this demographic. Remember that the habits that they form in college will stay with them for a lifetime," RIAA President Cary Sherman said. "