Ohio University Restrains Illegal File Sharing

At a press conference on Wednesday, Ohio University President Roderick McDavis announced that the university will restrain all illegal peer-to-peer file sharing on campus computers. The university will monitor its network for file sharing activity and cut off Internet access on computers that violate the new policy. Athens MidDay reporters Stine Eckert and Lindsay Allison were at the press conference and have more.



In an official statement announcing the crackdown, the university said it is restraining illegal file sharing because it consumes bandwidth, exposes the university network to viruses, and illegally distributes copyrighted works. Repeat violaters will have their computers disabled again and a referral to University Judiciaries. Illegal file sharing is considered theft and misuse, both of which are class A offenses.

There are legal file sharing websites on the Internet and those are allowed under the new policy. Chip Mcintosh, President and CEO of Frognet Internet Services, explains the difference between illegal and legal file sharing websites.



Have you been caught illegally downloading material on the internet? Tell us your comments and concerns.