Pirates Over The Transom: I Want My MP3
When I was growing up aboard a wandering sailboat, the idea of anything coming up "over the transom" (the stern, back of the boat, if you're used to being afloat) was rather threatening. Only pirates swarmed up over your scuppers.

Well, later I discovered that there was a "transom" over the office door where news stories and other manuscripts would be dropped when you weren't around.

So, this week, some piracy came over the e-transom that focuses the spyglass on some serious streaming issues that are causing controversy on and off campus. Here's what arrived:

<<Greetings,

I am a sophomore at Indiana University. Recently the university, among others, have banned the use of Napster, (an MP3 client). There are many freely distributed MP3 files out on the internet for evaluation use from labels such as K Records, Up Records, and Veronica Records that we can no longer have access to due to this ban. We have recently organized a group called STUDENTS AGAINST UNIVERSITY CENSORSHIP. We just wanted you to take a look at the URL below of our Web site (mainly our open letter, petition, and message board). Feel free to respond with any possible comments or questions. We've had a lot of media exposure over the past 2 weeks. MP3.com, wired.com, Wired Magazine, SPIN magazine, Industry Standard, the LA Times, and US News & World Report, ABCNEWS.COM, and ZD NET News, among others have written articles featuring our organizations efforts to counteract the nation's growing university ban on the use of Napster. We also have been featured on a radio show, "online today", as of 2-16/00. The most up to date publicity can be found on the front page news section.

Our goal is to provide a voice for the students. The students being the vary people who pay tuition and should at least be heard by the administration in a democratic fashion. We respect the appeal that USC recently imposed on their students and we will fight until every university in the nation realizes that students should be able to use napster and still maintain the universities fair use policy. Point in case, the universities need to crack down on the irresponsible students that are abusing the network. They should not hold Napster, or any other media-sharing company accountable for the irresponsibility of certain students.

Sincerely

Chad Paulson, Founder Students Against University Censorship>>