The Recording Industry Association of America filed another round of lawsuits against file sharers Monday. The 532 file sharers the RIAA filed suits against include 89 college students at 21 universities who were transferring audio and video files on peer-to-peer services using university networks for free.

<p>Universities from across the nation were targeted by the lawsuit, including Georgetown University, Stanford University, Marquette University and two Big Ten schools, Indiana University and Michigan University.

<p>Because a federal judge recently ruled the RIAA cannot sue groups of file sharers but must sue each downloader individually, the RIAA continues to sue using a “John Doe” litigation process to sue downloaders whose names are unknown.

<p>The RIAA is in the process of appealing the court’s decision.

<p>RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a release that the lawsuits are educational to downloaders.

<p>”Lawsuits are an important part of the larger strategy to educate file sharers about the law, protect the rights of copyright owners and encourage music fans to turn to these legitimate services,” Sherman said. “It’s important for everyone to understand that no one is immune from the consequences of illegally ‘sharing’ music files on P2P networks.”

<p>According to the release, courts have granted the RIAA’s preliminary request to issue subpoenas in lawsuits filed in January against downloaders. The subpoenas would identify file sharers through their Internet service providers’ addresses, but record companies plan to send downloaders letters offering to settle out of court. If file sharers refuse to settle, the companies will sue them.

<p>Sherman said file sharers can choose to download music from an array of legal music services on the Internet instead of from illegal peer-to-peer networks.

<p>As an alternative to Kazaa or Grokster peer-to-peer file-sharing services, downloaders can purchase music services for access to high-quality music and video files.

<p>Marquette University sophomore Heather Miller purchased the downloading software Rhapsody after seeing a large banner identifying the dangers of illegal file sharing at one of the campuses’ dining halls.

<p>”There was this big poster that said, ‘File sharing is like swimming with the sharks,’” Miller said. “And of course you don’t want to swim with the sharks because they bite.”

<p>Rhapsody, distributed by Best Buy, enables the buyer to download any song on any compact disc distributed by the store and can be purchased for about $14.

<p>”The real kicker is the downloading,” Miller said. “It’s really fast, but every song you burn [to a compact disc] is $0.79.”

<p>Miller said she purchased it after a friend recommended the service.

<p>Miller, who lives in Schroeder Hall, said while there were no posters in her residence hall, several posters were displayed throughout residence halls and the rest of the Marquette campus.

<p>But even after seeing the posters, Miller initially continued to download music until she heard stories from friends about students who were fined and then purchased Rhapsody. “I think people that are generally more paranoid are going to stop downloading (because of the posters),” Miller said. “But then there are the schmucks that will still download until [a lawsuit] happens to them.”

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