On-campus illegal downloading violations have decreased during the last few years.
MSU was ranked No. 1 of the top 25 universities that received complaints from the Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA. Now it is No. 7.
But even though illegal download complaints have decreased, it doesn't necessarily mean that students have cut back on downloading illegally.
The fear of getting caught by the RIAA and MSU has heightened as people realize that actions are taken against illegal downloaders.
MSU can suspend students' Internet connections, require hour-long talks with the head of MSU's network and, for a third offense, be sent to Judicial Affairs in the Department of Student Life, where students can be suspended or lose network privileges indefinitely.
The RIAA also can take people to court for violations. Those found guilty could face up to $150,000 fines per song to the RIAA.
MSU, however, does not release students' names to the RIAA unless there is a subpoena.
It's likely the decrease means students do not want to deal with the consequences given to them by the university, so they are finding alternative locations to download music and movies.
Off campus is where most of these illegal downloaders seem to turn, as many students continue to file-share either at home or other off-campus locations.
It also is becoming harder and harder to find music on many of the popular downloading programs, such as LimeWire and Morpheus. Some songs are falsely labeled and others have errors while playing, which makes it almost too much of a hassle to download illegally in the first place.
While many students feel they do not have the money to pay for songs they want to listen to, iTunes profits are on the rise, which is good news for the music industry.
It is good that MSU has developed a fair way to deal with students who are caught illegally downloading. Instead of letting the students fend for themselves in court, students are given warnings or told to meet with MSU officials.
It is a fair process, and it gives students the chance to realize their actions are being watched and need to change or they will risk more serious consequences.
MSU does offer students on campus a free file-sharing program called Ruckus. Ruckus only allows students to listen to music on their personal computers. So for students who listen to music in their dorm, the concept is good.
However, it does not do much for students on the go because many students who like to download music to their iPods or burn CDs are unable to do so.
MSU has done a decent job to decrease its illegal download violations by taking steps to sit down with students and discuss their behavior before they end up in the judicial process.
The university should continue to explore new alternatives for students to download and share music legally.
