IV. Public Outcry: The college setting and P2P sharing issue

S.A. 2314 was of special interest in the context of the increasing popularity of P2P sharing. With an ever-evolving repertoire of technological advancements, today's college-aged youth has access to numerous avenues for such P2P communication and sharing.89 With this increase in interconnection and communication, there has also been an increase in relevant legislation and litigation.90 These considerations seem to have prompted the concern expressed by Senator Reid that the P2P front is the best place to fight the increase in copyright infringement that has accompanied our recent technological advancements.91

Senator Reid's amendment was not the only proposed action against copyright infringement in the college setting. The Recording Industry Association of America (“RIAA”) has asked universities to “point fingers” at students engaging in copyright infringement, much like S.A. 2314 proposed to do.92 The overwhelming public reaction to the RIAA's request, just like the reaction to S.A. 2314, was one of outrage and overall disgust.93 Many students and faculty members at Harvard have expressed harsh disapproval of the RIAA's proposal and have offered alternative ideas on how to regulate P2P sharing while also upholding copyright protections.94

In the case of S.A. 2314, the public seems to have been successful. Many bloggers and writers on the public forum have hypothesized that Senator Reid withdrew his original amendment in response to the growing resistance and call to action against his proposal.95 Many were outraged that such an amendment was even considered to a bill that proposed to make college more affordable.96 They found the tradeoff between cutting college costs and having their personal information handed over to the government to be unsavory, to say the least.97 Not only was there a deep feeling that this amendment was intended to stifle free speech and expression, but there was also a feeling that S.A. 2314 was a tricky way to get a better foothold on copyright monitoring and regulation in the college setting.98 Many felt that if S.A. 2314 was accepted and the CCRA was then passed, they would not only be open to scrutiny by the federal government, but that some of their most valuable freedoms as Americans would be taken away in return for the opportunity to go to college99 -a tradeoff that they were not willing to accept.