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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2003 Teen Arrested for Blaster Virus RIAA Reveals Tracking Methods Universitas 21 Global Opens Its Doors Freshman Orientation Covers Intellectual Property TEEN ARRESTED FOR BLASTER VIRUS Federal authorities have arrested an 18-year-old Minnesota boy for his part in the recent "Blaster" virus attack. Jeffrey Lee Parson admitted that he modified parts of the Blaster virus and distributed it under several other names, including "Blaster.B." Computers infected with Parson's version of the virus registered themselves on a Web site Parson operated, and Parson told the FBI that his variant of the virus allowed him to reconnect with infected computers later. Parson's version of the virus reportedly infected at least 7,000 computers, causing damages far in excess of the $5,000 threshold for most hacker cases. Worldwide, an estimated 500,000 computers were infected by all versions of the Blaster virus, making it one of the worst attacks all year. Wall Street Journal, 29 August 2003 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB106212549173210600,00.html RIAA REVEALS TRACKING METHODS Included in court documents filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) are details about some of the group's tactics and methods for determining which file swappers are trading copyrighted files. The group has subpoenaed the ISP of a woman suspected of trading copyrighted works, to obtain her identity. The woman, who remains unidentified, is challenging the RIAA's subpoena. Her attorney has said that all the files on her computer were copies of legally purchased songs. In its filings, however, the RIAA indicates that so-called "hashes," or digital fingerprints, indicate that at least some of the files on the woman's computer came from Napster as long ago as May 2000. The RIAA flatly stated that the woman's recordings were not from her own CDs and that she is "not an innocent or accidental infringer." The RIAA's court filings also reveal that the group examines metadata tags, which are buried inside many MP3 files, as a tool for determining the source of the files. New York Times, 28 August 2003 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Downloading-Music.html UNIVERSITAS 21 GLOBAL OPENS ITS DOORS The newest entry in the online, higher education market has begun offering classes to 27 students. Universitas 21 Global is a for-profit venture, financed by publishing company Thompson Corporation and by 17 research universities that are partners in the project. The school's first offering is an MBA, with all coursework and lectures handled online. Students can enroll on a weekly basis and complete coursework when they choose. Officials hope enrollments rise to 500 by July 2004, but some observers question whether this is realistic. Some noted that there are already other providers of online MBAs, and A. Frank Mayadas of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation suggested that Universitas 21 Global will have difficulty competing against well-known institutions, many of which now offer similar degree programs. Chronicle of Higher Education, 28 August 2003 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2003/08/2003082801t.htm FRESHMAN ORIENTATION COVERS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Across the country as students show up on college campuses, an increasingly common component of orientation is a lesson on copyrights, possible infringements using technology, and the potential repercussions. The Recording Industry Association of America is continuing to serve ISPs--including many colleges--with subpoenas to identify suspected copyright violators, and the group has said it will begin filing lawsuits against the most egregious abusers. Educating students about the realities of intellectual property is the approach many university officials have taken to limit their institutions' potential liability, as well as to control bandwidth-usage problems created by file trading. Some students remain unconvinced, however. Samuel Hicks, who is entering American University this fall, was not persuaded by the presentation he attended. "This isn't going to stop me from downloading anything," he said. "[The recording industry would] have to do a lot of work to catch me." Washington Post, 28 August 2003 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56352-2003Aug27.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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