Music piracy crackdown nets college kids

At least 500 students nationwide have paid settlements to avoid being sued

University of Nebraska-Lincoln advertising major Sarah Barg recounts her music downloading experiences. Barg is one of hundreds of students at college campuses across the country whose semester changed when they got a letter from the Recording Industry Association of America, telling them they could either pay a settlement or be sued for illegally downloading music.

By Anna Jo Bratton

Updated: 2:34 p.m. MT May 13, 2007

LINCOLN, Neb. - At first, Sarah Barg thought the e-mail was a scam.

Some group called the Recording Industry Association of America was accusing the University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore of illegally downloading 381 songs using the school's computer network and a program called Ares.

The letter said she might be sued but offered her the chance to settle out of court.

"Obviously I knew it was illegal, but no one got in trouble for it," Barg said.