Staff Editorial: Downloading legally

It has long been said that there is no such thing as a "free" lunch. Soon enough, there may also be no such thing as "free" music, either. Recently, the nine justices of the Supreme Court decided that file-sharing software companies are liable for any resulting user copyright infringement. Consequently, the futures of companies like LimeWire and Grokster are anything but certain.

One course for Penn students to take would be to legally purchase music online through companies like Napster or Apple. However, the monthly membership fee or cost of 99 cents per song could exceed the budgets of some Penn students and may tempt them to revert back to illegal means. Given that the University will provide the names of student violators when subpoenaed to do so, as it did in the case of three Penn students this spring, downloading music illegally could certainly prove to be extremely costly.

Therefore, the administrators of the University should work to provide a legal file-sharing system for student use. Many other universities have already set up systems, and with great success. Penn should make an effort to not fall behind the times.

It has been estimated by UA members that such a system could cost students as little as $2 per month, the cost of just two songs bought from Apple. While students living in the dorms must already pay $8 a month for phone service -- whether they connect their room phone or not -- this fee could provide a much greater benefit to students. After all, $16 a year is a small price to pay to avoid the potentially large costs of representation in a lawsuit. Furthermore, a file-sharing system like this would prevent the University from being put in the awkward position of having to hand over the names of students.

Although music may no longer be "free," a university-wide file sharing-system is in the best interests of both Penn students and the administration.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.