Recording Industry Association of America refreshes
lawsuit blitz against schools
The Recording Industry Association of America, on behalf of its
member companies, renewed its commitment to protecting the rights
of copyright owners and deterring illegal file sharing, bringing a
new round of copyright infringement cases today, including lawsuits
against individuals at 14 additional universities.
Today’s action targeted 477 illegal file sharers, including 69
individuals using university networks to illegally distribute
copyrighted sound recordings on unauthorized peer-to-peer services.
The university networks used for this illegal activity include
schools in Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
As in earlier rounds of lawsuits, the RIAA is utilizing the
“John Doe” litigation process, which is used to sue
defendants whose names are not known.
Compiled from Bruin reports and wire services.
Council endorses water rate hikes
A city council panel endorsed plans for an 11 percent hike in
water rates this year, as the Department of Water and Power warned
rates would likely increase another 21.5 percent in the next four
years.
The hikes would help pay for improvements to the aging water
delivery system, the agency said Tuesday as it presented its
five-year plan for rate hikes.
The city’s Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources
Committee recommended hiring an outside auditor to review
Department of Water and Power finances and determine whether
increases were needed.
Councilman Tony Cardenas had opposed a previous proposal to
increase water rates by 18 percent over two years, but he said he
was convinced Tuesday that an 11 percent hike was justified.
The accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, hired by the
department to examine proposed rate increases, estimated the agency
would need to boost water rates by an average of 6.5 percent per
year for five years ““ or 32.5 percent overall ““ to help
pay for a $2.2 billion plan for security measures and improvements
in water quality.
Reports from Bruin wire services.