The class was $30 and lasted two hours. A book was assigned beforehand, and the class began with a test on its chapters.
Evan Goode, a Virginia Tech senior, never knew he would have to go through such hassle for a song uploaded from his computer.Goode is one of hundreds of Tech students every year who must participate in a class called "Choices" for illegally uploading songs or videos through file-sharing programs such as Bearshare, Limewire or Kazaa.
"It was pretty boring, and it took about two hours, maybe more," Goode said.
This past year, more than 800 on-campus students received judicial referrals, or JRs, for illegal uploads, in which another person in cyberspace downloads a file from the student's computer.
Action is normally taken for illegal uploads, but downloading a song, video or other file without the right to copy that work is still illegal and can bring consequences.
Many who use file-sharing programs, even for legal uses, have learned to remove the option that allows others to upload copyrighted material from their files. What most don't realize, though, is that option can go into effect again when a computer is restarted, and that is how most students find themselves in trouble, according Rohsaan Settle, Assistant Director of Judicial Affairs.
This past year, the number of students cited for improper file sharing went up drastically from previous years.
"Last year we had 866 computer-use policy violations related to file sharing. That is about triple the number we had the year before, and it's our third most prevalent policy violation on campus, after alcohol and involvement in a university violation," Settle said.
In 2005-2006, the year before, 331 students received JRs for file sharing violations, with 322 receiving JRs in 2004-2005.
Consequences can begin to unfold when an agent from a recording company, such as Columbia or Sony, calls the university to report the violation.
"There will be a copyright agent out there in cyberspace, and they will come across that someone at Virginia Tech has shared copyrighted material. So what they then do is contact someone within Communication Network Services and say this copyrighted material - either a song, video, movie, TV show - has been shared," Settle said.
By installing a file-sharing program and investigating downloads and uploads, a copyright agent will be able to see the network address where the file-sharing occurred, and will then contact Tech's CNS, who will then find the campus bedroom or portal where the activity occurred.
Judicial Affairs will then e-mail the two students living in that room to ask who was sharing the file in question, with information such as the title of the file. When the student in question comes forward, he or she will take the two hour class. The student may also request a hearing with Judicial Affairs to discuss the matter further.
If neither student admits to the file sharing, a hearing will be held to figure out which student's computer was used. Once students are found in violation by Judicial Affairs, they are issued a judicial referral.
A student who receives a second violation must attend another different two-hour class for "high-risk violators," involving an educational assignment and several online readings, and is warned that if another violation occurs he or she could lose access to Tech's Internet network.
Last year, 36 students received a second violation, and two were given a third violation and lost the privilege to go online for one or two semesters.
"I think that students can always be more educated on the repercussions of their actions, and from talking with members of the judicial system, I believe they are taking positive steps in improving the judicial affairs system in the university," said Student Government Association president Adeel Khan.
Although legal consequences are less frequent, they can still occur.
"Not only could you be charged criminally, you could be sued by the actual copyrighter.
When Napster and all that became an issue, Metallica tried to sue everyone downloading. And that was a big deal," said Officer Geof Allen of the Virginia Tech Police.
This past year, recording industry agents contacted about two dozen on-campus students for alleged file-sharing of copyrighted material. They were then asked to pay $3,000 or prepare to be sued. Some paid the fee, and others sought another form of legal settlement, according to Student Legal Services.
In rare, extreme cases, illegal file-sharing can become a federal criminal issue.
"Copyrights are federal law, so they carry a federal punishment, like piracy," Allen said.
With copyrighted materials, sharing is legal, but copying is not, Allen said.
"If you use a reliable source, such as downloading songs from Wal-Mart or Amazon, when you pay for that, you pay for the rights. If you buy it form Wal-Mart they will send a copy of the right to that song. When you buy a CD, you are buying the rights to that CD."
"I can own a CD and loan it to you as a friend, but you can't copy it. They were saying in the argument for Napster, that because you are sharing it, it is not illegal, but in reality you are actually copying it," Allen said.
Judicial Affairs recommended students use programs such as iTunes, in which downloading songs is perfectly legal, and to be aware of possible illegal functions of other file-sharing programs.
"If you're going to have a peer-to-peer software program be aware of its capabilities. Some people have computers from home they are bringing to campus, or other people set it up and install it, and they're not even aware they have the software," Settle said.