Re: RIAA Strikes B.U. & M.I.T.

["A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyross.com>]

On 22 Jul 2003 at 15:42, Dan Billings wrote:

> Interesting legal theory.  If the student privacy laws are actually so
> broad as to protect illegal activity, the laws need to be changed.  A case
> could be made that BU & MIT is liable for allowing their systems to be
> used in this way or particularly for not taking steps to stop it when made
> aware of the problem.

Federal law requires that before giving out personal information about a student, the school 
must inform the student and give him/her a chance to object.  The subpoenas don't allow 
enough time for the schools to do that.  The schools have said that they will comply with a 
subpoena that complies with this requirement.

Another problem is that all of the subpoenas are issued from the District of Columbia federal 
court.  The schools say that they should be issued from the Massachusetts federal court.

-- 
A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                           617.367.0468
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