RIAA's Copyright 101

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents the interests of the major music labels like Universal and SonyBMG, has developed a new video about the legalities of copyright and music downloading that it plans to distribute to college campuses. It's a not so subtle warning about the penalties students may face if they illegally download songs. In fact, it profiles a UNC Charlotte student named Derek who tells about how he was criminally prosecuted for doing just that.

According to News.com, the RIAA is being criticized by organizations including the Consumer Electronics Association, Public Knowledge and the Home Recording Rights Coalition who argue that the video makes "no mention of allowable uses for home recordings, even for individual use, which the law allows."

If you'd like to see the video for yourself, the RIAA has posted a copy on its Campus Downloading site, which features the tagline "Protect Yourself. Do It Legally."