III for a detailed  description of federal organizations involved in investigating and  prosecuting copyright infringement.) Selected Universities Report Taking Action to Reduce Illegal File Sharing on Campus Networks

The college and university officials we interviewed are aware of the use of  file-sharing applications on their networks, almost all of them have  experienced some problems and increased costs as a result of the use of  these applications, and they are taking steps to reduce the use of peer-to- peer file-sharing technology on their networks. University Officials We Interviewed Are Aware of the Use of File-Sharing Applications on Their Networks

All of the university officials we interviewed indicated that their colleges  or universities routinely monitor their networks and most of them  indicated that the institutions also actively monitored their networks  specifically for the use of peer-to-peer file-sharing applications during the  2003 to 2004 academic term. When file downloading was discovered, all the officials stated that  enforcement actions were taken against the individuals responsible. These  actions included issuing a warning to the user or users, banning them from  the network for a period of time, and shaping the bandwidth available for  a group of users. These groups use a  wide range of Internet technologies—including file sharing over peer-to- peer networks—to illegally distribute copyrighted materials over the  Internet. Federal law enforcement officials did not identify any specific legislative  barriers to investigation and prosecution of illegal file sharing on peer-to- peer networks. The Deputy Assistant Attorney General also noted that the  department’s recently created Intellectual Property Task Force will  examine how the department handles intellectual property issues and  recommend legislative changes, if needed. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to describe (1) the views of major universities on the  extent of problems experienced with student use of file-sharing software  applications, as well as the actions that the universities are taking to deal  with them and (2) the actions that federal enforcement agencies have  taken to address the issue of copyright infringement on peer-to-peer  networks, as well as agency views on any legislative barriers to dealing  with these problems. Prosecuting Agencies

		Department of Justice

Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Why GAO Did This Study

The emergence of peer-to-peer file-sharing applications that allow networks to share computer files among millions of users has changed the way copyrighted materials, including digital music, videos, software, and images can be distributed and has led to a dramatic increase in the incidence of copyright infringement (piracy) of these digital materials. These applications enable direct communication between users, allowing users to access each other's files and share digital music, videos, and software. According to a coalition of intellectual property owners in the entertainment industry, an increasing number of students are using the fast Internet connections offered by college and university networks to infringe copyrights by illegally downloading and sharing massive volumes of copyrighted materials on peer-to-peer networks. GAO was asked to describe (1) the views of major universities on the extent of problems experienced with student use of file-sharing applications as well as the actions that the universities are taking to deal with them and (2) the actions that federal enforcement agencies have taken to address the issue of copyright infringement on peer-to-peer networks as well as agency views on any legislative barriers to dealing with the problems.

What GAO Found

The college and university officials we interviewed are aware of the use of file-sharing applications on their networks, almost all of them have experienced some problems and increased costs as a result of the use of these applications, and they are taking steps to reduce the use of these applications on their networks. All of the officials interviewed indicated that their colleges or universities routinely monitor their networks, and most of them indicated that the institutions also actively monitor their networks specifically for the use of these file-sharing applications. When infringing use is discovered, all of the representatives stated that enforcement actions are taken against the individuals responsible. These actions included issuing a warning to the user or users, banning them from the network for a period of time, and managing the bandwidth available for a group of users. Federal law enforcement officials have been taking action to investigate and prosecute organizations involved in significant copyright infringement. These groups use a wide range of Internet technologies to illegally distribute copyrighted materials over the Internet. Federal law enforcement officials did not identify any specific legislative barriers to investigation and prosecution of illegal file sharing on peer-to-peer networks. According to the Department of Justice officials, the department's recently created Intellectual Property Task Force will examine how the department handles intellectual property issues and recommend legislative changes, if needed.