RoguePlanet

Movie, music groups to sue Internet2 users
By Ted Bridis
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The super-fast "Internet2" network that connects universities researching the next-generation Internet is also apparently popular among college students who download pirated music and movies.

Entertainment groups said Tuesday they intend to sue hundreds of students accused of illegally distributing copyrighted songs and films across college campuses using the private research network, which boasts speeds hundreds of times faster than the Internet.

How much faster?

Internet2 researchers once demonstrated they can download a DVD-quality copy of the popular movie "The Matrix" in 30 seconds over their network, a feat they said would take roughly 25 hours over the Internet.

The Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group for the largest labels, said it will file federal lawsuits today against 405 students at 18 colleges with access to the Internet2 network. The Motion Picture Association of America said it will file an unspecified number of lawsuits against Internet2 users.

The recording industry said it found evidence of more illegal activity at 140 more schools in 41 states and sent warning letters to university presidents.

Internet2 is used by several million university students, researchers and professionals around the world but is generally inaccessible to the public.