The University's Department of Information Technology should be commended for its even-handed and fair response to the Recording Industry Association of America's heavy-handed and possibly illegal tactics.

DoIT Spokesperson Brian Rust is correct that AOL and Charter subscribers do not get the same "offers" that university students do. This is because a commercial ISP has a duty to protect their subscribers' personal information and not serve as a conduit for extra-legal "pre-litigation" letters. DoIT has done the right thing by treating University Housing residents the same way that a commercial ISP would treat their customers, and upheld the reputation of UW-Madison by following the law instead of kowtowing to the RIAA. If the RIAA believes the law has been broken, they should go to court and seek relief under the law instead of resorting to techniques that border on extortion with the unwitting help of risk-averse Universities.

If the RIAA is so concerned about the law, they should operate within it.

Andrew Feinberg

Class of 2005

(Phone number removed by request)