Avoid being an Online Music Pirate

Here are some guidelines for determining whether anyone in your family is using a home computer to share copyrighted music and, if so, what actions you can take to prevent further sharing, above and beyond forbidding the practice. The measures described below will protect you against future copyright infringements, but they will be effective only if you regularly monitor your computer to ensure that the steps you've taken haven't been circumvented.

How can I tell whether a family member might be using a computer to share copyrighted music?

Check first for the presence of P2P (peer to peer) file-sharing software on any computer in your home. While there are dozens of such programs, among the most widely used on Windows computers are Kazaa, Morpheus, iMesh, Grokster, and Blubster. Widely used Macintosh file-sharing programs include Poisoned, LimeWire, and mlMac (you can find a more complete list using Google).

Note that P2P software is perfectly legal to use, for example, to share music whose copyright owner has given permission. Only the sharing of copyrighted music files is prohibited.

Here's how to tell whether any P2P software is installed on your Windows computer (If you use a Macintosh, you should follow different instructions):

• Run a "Find" query. Click on the Start button and choose Find. Select "Files and folders." Enter any of the P2P program names above in the Find prompt. Any files associated with the P2P software will be listed.
• Review your installed programs. Click on the Start button and select "Control Panel". Choose Add/Remove Programs. The menu will list all programs installed on your machine, including any P2P programs.

Here's how to determine whether any P2P software is already running on your Windows computer:

• Check the system tray, the little strip at the bottom right of the screen. Place your mouse cursor on each of the icons in the tray. If any of the P2P program names (such as Kazaa, Morpheus, or iMesh) pops up, the software is running and you may be sharing files with others over the Internet.

What should I do if one of these programs is on my computer?

As we noted above, P2P software is legal. You need not remove it. (If you do want to remove the software, or restrict its use, we'll tell you how to do that later.) However, if the software is sharing copyrighted music files with others, that is illegal and requires your immediate attention. The next step is to find out whether your computer is sharing such files.

How can I tell whether my computer is sharing copyrighted music?

A computer stores music in the form of audio files. To find audio files, follow the Find query steps above, but enter audio-file identifiers instead of P2P software names. The most common one is mp3. (Other, less popular audio file identifiers include mp2, mp1, wmp, wma, rm, ram, and aac.)

If you discover a large number of audio files, scrutinize them carefully. Not all audio files are illegal copies. Legitimate online music distributors often use mp3 and similar compressed file formats to sell music. Music copied from a CD you own can also be stored legally on your computer as an audio file.

Most often, audio files downloaded from P2P programs are placed in a "shared" folder. Kazaa, the most popular sharing program, keeps them in a folder called My Shared Folder. That's the place you'll probably find most of the music that has been downloaded to your computer.

One way to determine whether a song has a copyright is to use common sense: if it sounds like popular music, it probably has a copyright. To double check, try typing the file name into a reliable search engine. You'll probably find the artist's Web site, which should include the label that owns the artist's music.

What should I do if I find copyrighted music?

Should you discover you've broken the law by sharing copyrighted music, first check the Electronic Frontier Foundation's subpoena database to see whether the RIAA has subpoenaed your Internet service provider for your name. Many major ISPs such as AT&T and EarthLink have policies to comply with subpoenas and reveal your name, although SBC Communications and Verizon are fighting the RIAA to protect users' identities.

If you have been subpoenaed, visit the Subpoena Defense Alliance for more information on enlisting an attorney. If you haven't been subpoenaed, you should make sure that you don't continue to infringe on copyrights.

How do I avoid further infringing on copyrights?
There are four actions you can take:

• deleting all the copyrighted audio files
• uninstalling the P2P program (use the "Add/Remove Programs" option in the Windows Control Panel)
• disabling the P2P's sharing option
• blocking outside access to the P2P software by using your computer's Internet firewall

If you choose to delete the files or uninstall P2P software, you won't have anything to worry about. Should you choose to keep the music files and P2P software, the best way to protect yourself is to shut off the P2P program's Sharing and Uploading features, so that it will no longer make any music available to others. (Alternatively, if you use firewall software to protect your computer against hackers, you may be able to configure it to prevent outsiders from communicating with the existing P2P software. Check the firewall's software's configuration options.)

How do I disable the file-sharing software's Sharing features?

The following instructions vary slightly depending on which version of the P2P program you use:

To disable Kazaa's sharing options:

• Select "Tools" from the menu and choose "Options".
• Click on the "Sharing" tab and uncheck the box "Share files in My Shared Folder".
• Click on the "Advanced" tab and check "Do not function as a Supernode." Set "Maximum Simultaneous Uploads" and "Maximum Bandwidth in kilobits to be used for transferring files to other Kazaa Media Desktop users" to zero. Then click "OK".

To disable Morpheus's sharing option:

• Click on the "Configuration" icon (the wrench).
• Select the "Share" menu and highlight any directories listed as shared. Click "Remove".
• Select the "Transfer" menu and set "Maximum simultaneous uploads" to zero.
• Select the "Bandwidth" menu and set "Limit upload bandwidth to" to zero KB/s. Then click "OK".

To disable iMesh's sharing option:

• Select "Tools" from the main menu and choose "Options".
• Choose "Security" from the Options menu and check the "Don't share files on this computer" box.
• Choose "Traffic" from the Options menu and set the "Uploads" settings for "Maximum concurrent uploads" and "Maximum bandwidth (in KB/s)" to zero. Then click "OK".

Many university Web sites (e.g., University of Chicago and Cumberland University) describe how to turn off file sharing for these and other programs at length and with illustrations.

The music industry has promised amnesty to users who sign a declaration pledging to delete all illegally obtained music and to never again illegally download or distribute music. However, you should consult your lawyer before taking such action.

How do I check a Macintosh computer for file-sharing software?

Three of the most widely used P2P file-sharing programs for Macintosh computers are Poisoned, LimeWire, and mlMac. Here's how to check whether one of these is installed on your Macintosh:

• Open the hard drive and scan the applications folder for the above program names. You can find a more extensive list of Macintosh P2P file-sharing programs at Mac P2P systems (mac-p2p.com). Note: iTunes is Apple's legitimate, paid music download service. Any music files from iTunes Music Store are legal.
• For a more thorough search, run a "Find" query. Use the built-in search field in the Finder toolbar to search by file name. Enter Mac P2P program names in the prompt. Files associated with the P2P software will be listed.

If I do find P2P software, how can I find any copyrighted music files?

Use the advanced "Find" query to locate audio files. Select File and choose "Find…" from the menu. Select "audio" as the file type by which to search. Common Mac formats include mp3, aac, and aiff. The iTunes Music Store uses the aac format. Files downloaded that way are legal.

How can I disable the file-sharing software's sharing feature?

The instructions vary, depending on which version you use.

You can't remove the download folder that shares files over the network in Poisoned, but you can prevent uploading by:

• Selecting Poisoned from the main menu and choosing "Preferences".
• From the Preferences menu, choose "Uploads". Set "Maximum Uploads and Per User" to zero.

To disable LimeWire's sharing options:

• Select "Tools" from the main menu and choose "Options".
• Choose "Sharing "from the side menu. Highlight any shared directories and click "Remove". Then delete all extensions from the Shared Extensions list below to disable sharing.
• Now select "Uploads" from the side menu and choose Slots. Set "Uploads per person," "Start upload slots" and "Max upload slots" to zero. Then click "OK".

In mlMac, you cannot turn off uploading or remove the download folder. The best way to prevent outside users from extensively uploading from this system is to remove files from the folder after they finish downloading. By design, mlMac allows outside users to upload files from you while you download. There is no way to turn this function off.

Because individual designers often create Mac P2P software products, many do not have official Help Web sites. However, discussion groups are available for help with tech issues for individual applications, and general discussion groups like Mac Forums may be good resources.