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Long Live the Digital Revolution

For all you college students who live in constant fear that downloading the new Bloc Party will land you in the slammer, for once the man has got your back. According to the Associated Press, a federal judge ruled that two North Carolina Universities do not have to disclose the names of alleged file-swappers on their colleges’ computer systems. Back in September 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) subpoenaed the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University to get the real identities of two known file swappers whose internet handles were “Cadillac Man” and “Hulk.” While the universities in question do not publicly condone music piracy, they do champion their students’ right to privacy. In early April, the RIAA filed over 400 lawsuits against students at 118 universities for using the private research network Internet2 to swap audio and video files. Hopefully the North Carolina ruling will set a precedent so the college kids like the Caddy Man can download their favorite music with reckless drunken abandon.