Ashley Flores

Students may have to pay a hefty price if caught downloading material illegally from the Internet. Ashley Flores has more in this Bobcat Update.
It may seem innocent at first. You tell yourself it's just this one time.  One song won't hurt anyone. Then you get an e-mail that says you've been busted. Some students are unaware of the university policy on downloading material from such websites as Limewire or Ares.
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When students activate a Texas State Net I-D, they agree to the Appropriate Use Policy that states the student will not use university resources to download unauthorized materials. Texas State senior  Joseph Adenji says the policy is wise and thinks nothing good can come from downloading illegal files.
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The Recording Industry Association of America is the watchdog that looks for students engaging in illegal activity. Once the association spots prohibited downloading it sends the university a complaint which includes the I-P address of the computer. Some students don't appreciate this and feel it's unfair to pay for music.
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Bridge- "If you want to download music there are alternative sites, such as hulu, myspace or even youtube."
Students who refuse to comply with the rules and continue to download illegally face consequences that can cost a lot more than 99 cents per song. According to the Texas State website, offenders face paying fines of up to 150-thousand dollars for each movie or song that has been illegally acquired or shared. That makes 99 cents seem like a bargain after all.  For Bobcat Update I'm Ashley Flores.