s ▁practices , ▁by ▁seeking ▁to ▁exclude ▁evidence ▁collected ▁by ▁Media S entry ▁from ▁the ▁law su its , ▁and ▁by ▁fil ing ▁compla ints ▁with ▁state ▁lic ens ing ▁bo ards . ▁ ▁The ▁R I AA ▁assert ed ▁that ▁Media S entry ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁private ▁investig ator , ▁so ▁does ▁not ▁require ▁lic ens ing ▁in ▁any ▁juris diction . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁som etime ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁the ▁R I AA ▁quietly ▁dis cont in ued ▁using ▁Media S entry ' s ▁services . ▁ ▁A ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁red es ign ▁of ▁Media S entry ' s ▁website ▁removed ▁a ▁section ▁on ▁" lit ig ation ▁support ▁services " ▁which ▁described ▁" g ather ing ▁evidence ▁for ▁civil / c riminal ▁lit ig ation ▁and ▁pro sec ution ". ▁ ▁Early ▁settlement ▁offers ▁In ▁February , ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁R I AA ▁launched ▁an ▁' ear ly ▁settlement ▁program ' ▁directed ▁to ▁I SP ' s ▁and ▁to ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities , ▁ur ging ▁them ▁to ▁pass ▁along ▁letters ▁to ▁subscri bers ▁and ▁students ▁offering ▁early ▁" sett lement s ", ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁dis closure ▁of ▁their ▁ident ities . ▁ ▁When ▁accepted , ▁these ▁offers ▁can ▁save ▁the ▁R I AA ▁the ▁exp ense ▁to ▁proc ure ▁the ▁ident ities ▁through ▁a ▁Do e ▁law suit ▁naming ▁multiple ▁defend ants . ▁ ▁The ▁settlement ▁letters ▁ur ged ▁I SP ' s ▁to ▁preserve ▁evidence