File sharing on campus is not likely to be affected by a summer Supreme Court decision. The decision, made in late June, holds that Internet file-sharing firms are responsible for copyright infringement. ISU officials and students say the decision will make a little difference in students’ habits.

“The negative publicity of the ruling may have some effect, but I don’t necessarily see a significant reduction in file sharing,” said Michael Bowman, director of Information Technology Service for Academic Information Techologies.

Bowman said although the Supreme Court ruling may impact some popular file-sharing firms, the decision has little to do with individual users, and he expects file sharing to remain commonplace among college students.

Though the ruling does little to deter college students from illegally using copyrighted material, he said Iowa State makes efforts to discourage file sharing.

“The university takes this very seriously,” Bowman said. “We take every opportunity to inform students of the severe penalties associated with copyright infringement.”

Student violations of copyright law are met with consequences that include probation or restrictions on ISU computer network access, he said.

Bowman said about 330 complaints were filed against ISU students last year, and three students were sued for file sharing.

He said approximately 12,000 lawsuits have been filed nationwide for copyright infringement, many of which cost the defendant between $3,000 and $5,000 dollars.

In a unanimous ruling, Justice David Souterwrote the Supreme Court’s majority opinion.

“We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement,” he wrote.

The case was filed by 28 movie and music producers against the file-sharing company Grokster. The plaintiffs claimed piracy was affecting their profits.

Thomas Hillson, adviser for the Ames Mac Users Group, an on-campus club, said the Supreme Court decision to will have little sway with ISU students already file sharing.

“I don’t think the ruling will discourage file sharing anywhere,” Hillson said.

“It’s been around as long as computers have been around, really.”

He said he warns members of the Mac Users Group about the possible consequences of copyright infringement, but file sharing has become too widespread.

“It’s around. It’s common,” he said.

Adam Nelson, senior in computer science, agreed.

“It doesn’t really deal with the users as much as the creators of the programs,” he said. “The ruling doesn’t really mean any consequences for users.”

Nelson said file sharing has become too prevalent for these kinds of court rulings to have an effect.

“It’s just too common and easy for students to illegally share things like music and movies,” he said.