Recent ISU Police investigations related to illegal distribution of software, movies and sound files caused administrators of StrangeSearch, which indexes files shared on computers connected to the ISU network, to pull their product down.

The decision was not made by an official agency, but by the students who ran StrangeSearch, said one of the system’s administrators, Mike Seager, senior in microbiology.

Questions of safety led them to pull down StrangeSearch, which formerly could be reached at strangesearch.dhs.org.

The decision came after the ISU Police’s investigations, he said.

“We just thought it would be in our best interests and the best interests of those sharing,” he said.

Several students came back from class and found police had taken all of their computer equipment out of their room, he said.

Capt. Gene Deisinger, ISU Police, confirmed ISU Police are investigating several cases involving ISU students and illegal distribution of software, movies and sound files.

“In the last two days, we executed two different search warrants where we seized two different computers in residence hall rooms,” he said.

Deisinger said police seized memory storage devices and computer equipment as part of an ongoing investigation. No charges have been filed at this time.

Deisinger was unable to provide any additional specifics about the cases at this time. He also denied rumors of federal agents being affiliated with the investigation.

“That investigation was initiated by ISU Police and has not at this point involved federal agents,” he said.

Deisinger said there is nothing illegal about the indexing system, unless people are intentionally illegally sharing copyrighted material.

“At this point it is not my intention to shut down StrangeSearch, or any other indexing system,” Deisinger said.

However, he said ISU Police will continue to investigate illegal activities, including criminal activities committed through the ISU network.

According to a StrangeSearch information Web site, www.strangesearch.net, the system was created and launched at Iowa State in 1998.

It allows those connected with the network to access links to publicly shared files.