Academy seizes computers from nearly 100 mids (Drudge Talking About This Next)

Annapolis Capitol Gazzette ^ | JESSICA R. TOWHEY, Staff Writer

[Doctor Raoul]

Academy seizes computers from nearly 100 mids
By JESSICA R. TOWHEY, Staff Writer

Officials at the Naval Academy have seized nearly 100 midshipmen's computers that allegedly contained illegally downloaded music and movies, sources said.

The raid occurred Thursday while students were in class, and a source familiar with the investigation said the computers were being held by the administration.

Cmdr. Bill Spann, academy spokesman, confirmed that an investigation into what material is on the computers is under way, but declined further comment.

He did say punishment for illegally possessing copyrighted material ranges from a court-martial to loss of leave and other restrictions.

Computers are given to each midshipman upon entering the academy. During their four years at the school, mids pay back the value of the computers through deductions from their monthly paychecks.

Amanda Collins, a spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America, said yesterday that the Naval Academy was among the colleges and universities around the country that were sent two letters from entertainment industry and educational associations asking them to address Internet piracy and establish policies against it.

An Oct. 3 letter signed by four entertainment-based lobbying associations spelled out that Internet copyright infringement violates federal copyright laws.

"`Theft' is a harsh word, but that it is, pure and simple," the letter stated. "... It is no different from walking into the campus bookstore and in a clandestine manner walking out with a textbook without paying for it."

The recording industry estimates that more than 2.6 billion music files are downloaded illegally each month, usually through unlicensed services.

CD sales fell more than 5 percent in 2001 and dipped another 1 percent in the first half of this year, according to the RIAA.

Some of the recording industry's biggest stars, such as Madonna, Mick Jagger and Eminem, have joined coalitions to combat the wholesale theft of music. The industry claims this threatens the livelihood of everyone from artists, songwriters and manufacturers to sound engineers and record-store owners and clerks.

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towhey@capitalgazette.com

[Ole Okie]

they got no leg to stand on.

Up with such grammar I will not put.

[steve-b]

It may not be so much a desire to steal as the fact that storing music on a computer may be the best way for them to have music with them at Annapolis. They might have paid if music were available easily in a computer based format they could store on their hard drive.

Neither the presence of MP3s (which could be legally created from purchased CDs) nor the presence of a file-sharing program (which could be legally used to share files that are in the public domain or owned by someone who doesn't object) is evidence of any violation. It an illegal download can be specifically identified, or copyrighted files are being made available for public download, then somebody is in for it.

[TheLion]

"higher standard"....I would use it, but then, you would be over your head.

[Glenn]

I would use it, but then, you would be over your head.

Let me say this so you can understand clearly:

That'd be the day.

[TheLion]

I don't have a lot of time to engage in aimless bickering. You are into technology....do you have anything significant to add to the post here?

[beowolf]

Hmmmm...the problem that I have with the whole situation, is that the middies purchased these computers. They were private, not government property. Absent a search warrent with specific probable cause, it seems to be an illegal search and seizure issue.

If middies are under USMCJ, then it becomes a whole new ball game. Just what is the 'legal staus' of middies?

[NOLA_homebrewer]

'89 grad here:

Midshipmen are legally officers and subject to the UCMJ like everyone else, in addition the Academy has a huge conduct rule book that is enforced as well.

Waaaaaay back when I was there, plebes weren't allowed stereos, walkmen, radios, etc, but after your first year you can have pretty much anything you want (no personal TVs though). Also, during my time, midshipman pay was about $525 a month; HOWEVER, how much you actually saw in cash depended on what year you were in and any debts (laundry, haircuts, books all came out of your paycheck) during your senior year at most you saw a few hundred. As a plebe, with the computer repayment and initial uniform costs and all the usual stuff, you walked away with NO KIDDING - about $40 a month. Of course, you couldn't date and even if you were 21 you couldn't drink, so it went a lot further than $120 a month did during your second year.

So, you take an 18 yr old, don't let him have any stereo gear, don't pay him anything, and then bust him for downloading music - that place always was a massive breeding ground for a$$holes. The thing is, I bet the sweep & seize was conducted by midshipman goon squads, not staff.

As a sidenote, legally mids are officers and senior to NCOs, most if not all of the Chiefs never got that, then again most Chiefs have a hard time with Ensigns and JGs. All the Gunny Sergeants I knew there always addressed even the plebes as 'sir' and saluted. The Senior Enlisted Marine said it was that if he treated them as officers it would help them act like officers. Damn good man.

[Poohbah]

Why pick on our service men?

A little concept called "honor."

If it is in their computers, delete it and the program that runs it and tell them NOT to do that again.

And kiss the Honor Code--"A midshipman does not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerates those who do"--goodbye.

That should be all that is done and then it should be over.

Uh-huh. You've just identified 100 of the weakest links. And you want to keep them.

God save America (please).

[beowolf]

Thanks for the legal claification.

My experience was that the Chiefs always ended up 'training' the middies after graduation in the pratical applications of the authority structure, and what their real responsibilities were. ( I was USRA, and the same maxim held true ). Senior officers let this happen and with good reason...if the new graduates couldn't exercise command with those that were their senior in age and experience, though inferior in rank, then they were unfit for command in it's true sense that the command structure is designed for.

Again, thanks for the clarification....Regards,

[DocJ69]

My son was a 2000 graduate, and we paid for his computer up front when he arrived at the academy. I would like to know the whole story before any judgement is passed on to these young men and women. What year etc. would be interesting.

[Glenn]

I don't have a lot of time to engage in aimless bickering.

Sorry. It was a just knee-jerk reaction to the splendid irony.

[jamaksin]

Honor you say.

Read the clear perjury in the Joint Congressional Hearing on Pearl Harbor lately?

Oops - touchy or just hypocrisy?

[DB]

Possibly... Do they play any copyrighted music in their bagpipe band??? If they play any copyrighted music before an audience they've done the evil deed...

[Richard Kimball]

What's with these Annapolis kids? Every couple years they seems to be involved in some kind of brew-ha-ha.

They get busted for stuff that's totally ignored on other campuses. It's the old "higher standard" thing. How many Berkley students you think would get busted if they checked all their computers for illegal music files?

[DB]

I would bet money that I could find at least one copyright violation on your machine, and the machines of the officers that are enforcing these rules. And yes, you could find them on my machine as well. Where do you draw the line???

If they were purposely distributing copyrighted material illegally I would agree with you. If they had a few copyrighted songs that they didn't pay for I wouldn't be so quick to judge. And you do know that several legal Web services sell mp3 songs by the song. How would the investigators know for sure they weren't properly purchased even if they don't own the CD and they were copyrighted?

Does their military band play any copyrighted music before an audience??? This would be essentially the same type of violation… Does everyone who participated in playing said music get discharged?

[TheLion]

You is forgiven...lol. Btw, the above line "they got no leg to stand on was written that way on purpose".

[TheLion]

Good points indeed. First off, we have no idea what they are looking for or what rules they had in place. It would be hard to imagine anything other than demerits or some sort of punishment, short of a discharge. Maybe they just want to find out what the middies are doing with these machines.

[TheLion]

Ping...you might want to weigh in on this thread!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Amanda Collins, a spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America, said yesterday that the Naval Academy was among the colleges and universities around the country that were sent two letters from entertainment industry and educational associations asking them to address Internet piracy and establish policies against it.

Ahh, the Nazis at the RIAA are at it again.