RIAA Targets College Students

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is sending pre-lawsuit letters to numerous college students who illegally downloaded copyrighted materials.

Most college students are not morally bothered by intellectual property theft, so the only way to keep them honest is through threats and punishments. So I'm very happy that the RIAA is aggressively fighting crime. I don't see a big moral difference between a student illegally downloading a song or this student stealing a physical good from a store.

Secure property rights are the foundation of capitalism. As intellectual property is steadily becoming more important to our society, it's vital that Americans respect the property rights of copyright holders. I hope, therefore, that the RIAA is able to scare college students into being more honest.