Earlier today I received an e-mail reminding me that I was hosting copyrighted material on my Skidmore webspace. Whoops! Didn't mean to leave it up for that long.

(Just so's you know, I did buy the Bloc Party album, and I am totally comfortable with not sharing it illegally, although I do take somewhat of an issue with the standing definition of "legal," which I won't argue here)

And, as such, the sharing will both Cease and Desist.



Text of the message follows:

Dear David,

            This letter is to inform you Skidmore College has received a copyright infringement notice from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) indicating that you are offering unauthorized copies of their music through a web site. The IFPI has been very emphatic about enforcing their copyrights. Hence, unless you can prove that you own the rights to distribute their music or have never possessed the material, you must cease sharing their music and erase it from your web site mmediately.

            Infringing the copyright of others is a violation of Skidmore College’s Honor Code, and Skidmore’s Academic Policies. I am sending this email because it is your first reported violation. If I receive another copyright infringement notice pertaining to you, I will refer the matter to the Integrity Board. Our concern is that the companies who believe their copyrights have been infringed may take legal action, as the IFPI is currently doing to combat music piracy, and allow for no “second chances” at compliance.

            Please do not hesitate to contact Don Hastings or me if you feel that you have been wrongly accused or have other questions regarding the incident. After receipt of this notification, you will have 48 hours to erase the file or the Center for Information Technology will take ownership of the directory and remove it from the server until the issue is resolved. Please inform me when you have erased the infringing files from your website. I am required to report your compliance to the cease and desist notice.

 

The files referenced in the DMCA notification are at:

 

http://www.skidmore.edu/~d_gwilli/songs

 

and the files contain recordings by the artist known as "Block Party".  

 

 

Thank you for your compliance,

 

Jeffrey A. Clark

DMCA Agent

Center for Information Technology Services

Skidmore College