[Web4lib] Limewire

[Micah Stevens]

On 03/06/2007 08:33 AM, Jane Frasier wrote:
> We are fairly liberal in allowing users to download and use programs
> from the internet because we use Deep Freeze and the computers are
> restarted between each patrons' use. Limewire has been quite popular
> lately. Are we opening up a can of worms allowing this to be used on our
> public computers? What are the risks?
>
>   
The primary risk is that the files the user is receiving are coming from 
unknown and therefore untrusted sources. One could be downloading 
anything from anywhere, including mislabeled files that are trojan 
horses, as well as copyrighted materials. With the RIAA being sue-happy 
lately I would be concerned about legal action from them or other such 
groups if your users are downloading music or movies with your hardware, 
even if it's erased in-between uses. The legal precedents for such 
things are still in their infancy. Any legal action would cost your 
organization money as well, even if it doesn't result in a 'win' for the 
suing organization.

Although I hate to label a technology as bad, to be safe I'd have a 
tendency to disallow P2P file sharing on these units. Or at the very 
least have a policy that requests the user not use such technology to 
try and buffer yourself from legal claims. I'm not a lawyer so I have no 
idea how effective that would be, although I've seen the technique used 
before.

-Micah