In the few weeks Ball State University has had access to Ruckus, students have already found ways around legal uses of the program's digitally encrypted files.
Ruckus is a music provider that could soon pose a legal problem.
Students quickly learned how to get around the program's Digital Rights Management technology. They've downloaded the music, put the files through a program that strips off the protection and transferred the tunes onto a CD or an MP3 player - an entirely illegal process.
They are using a legal tool for illegal means.
Even though no one is closely monitoring what students are doing now, someone could in the future.
Recall Napster's rise to fame and subsequent downfall: The service went years without any major problems, but the Recording Industry Association of America eventually got involved, effectively ending Napster.
If industry officials are wise enough to care, the same fate awaits Ruckus. It doesn't mean it will be shut down, but the way in which you use it could drastically change.
See: Napster 2.0.
Maybe not today, maybe not this year, but using Ruckus illegally will eventually lead to negative consequences. The more common the abuse is, the more likely it is officials will intervene.
Students have the option to respect the service agreement now or continue to abuse it and risk paying the consequences later.
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