Out of more than 8.5 million students who illegally download music in the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America picked Sara Barg. The sophomore advertising major had to borrow $3,000 from her parents to pay off the RIAA.
"I wouldn't download for like a month, and then in one night I would download like 20 songs," she said. "I went in spurts." It was a Thursday afternoon.
Barg had just returned from her microeconomics class. She checked her Facebook account. Then her e-mail.
Her inbox contained an e-mail titled "UNL Notification of copyright complaint by RIAA." She almost deleted it, thinking it was just another junk mail notification from the university. But she said she opened it out of curiosity.
This wasn't just an announcement from UNL - it was a pre-litigation letter. The RIAA accused Barg of illegally downloading 381 songs from Ares, one of the many peer-to-peer downloading software available on the Internet. It was music she wasn't exactly proud of: hit songs from the 1990s, a little country, pop and some rap.
It was the type of music usually found on a "Now That's What I Call Music" compilation albums: Journey. Christina Aguilera. The Spice Girls.
Britney Spears. "Honestly," Barg said, "none of it was downloaded for pure enjoyment (of music)." Obviously, she said, these songs were downloaded purely for goofing around with her friends and her roommate.
She actually pays for music she likes - such as Justin Timberlake.
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