I remember the birth of Napster. The funny white cat with weird green eyes didn’t remind me much of music, or napping for that matter, but it was a revelation. At the time my only album was a Jars of Clay tape, and I had just entered junior high knowing little more about music than my parents’ Kenny G collection. This lack of exposure left me with little appreciation for good music.

Then Napster was born, and my brothers’ music library grew exponentially.

Singing along with Third Eye Blind and Don McLean hits, I laid on a futon with my girlfriends and wondered why I never knew music could be this good. The new melodies tickled my ears; I had discovered junior high nirvana.

None of us thought Napster was illegal, and only in our most imaginative dreams could we imagine anyone trying to stop it. Then Napster fell, KaZaA kicked Norton’s butt and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) learned to hunt.

When I first read the letter that Eric Godfrey, the UW’s vice provost for student life, sent to all students regarding the RIAA’s recent scheme to sue students through their universities, I felt betrayed.

Even though I gave up illegal music after a nasty binge with a new iTunes file-sharing hack called ourTunes, I didn’t think it was the UW’s place to rat out its own students. I gave Godfrey a call but soon felt like a complete jerk.

He explained his situation, and I realized he wasn’t evil — in fact, he’s actually quite nice. But I learned that the RIAA is an extra-special kind of evil, something not even Stephen King could conjure.

Two months ago, the RIAA notified the UW that it would soon be sending out letters to IP addresses suspected of illegally downloading music. When it does, the UW will have to decide whether to ignore the RIAA or figure out which students are behind the suspected IP address and forward the letters.

Once the RIAA notifies the UW, the student has 20 days to decide whether or not to agree on “early settlement.” This is the only way the RIAA will know the UW’s decision. Godfrey said the UW will not be giving any information to the RIAA, including names, whether the student was found or even if they tried finding the student.

So, the benefit of notifying students of the letters is that students get the chance to settle early and they know the RIAA is after them. The benefit of not forwarding the letters is being able to snuff 90 percent of the United States’ recording industry, which although fun, isn’t much in the interest of students. It’s a frustrating decision, but they chose the lesser of two evils.

“[The UW] has two primary alternatives,” Godfrey said. “It puts the University in a very awkward spot.”

The RIAA boasts online about its new plan to bust huge numbers of university dwellers. Don’t be deceived by statistics, which can be interpreted to make college students look like the most serious culprits of illegal downloading. The RIAA intermixes data from all peer-to-peer (P2P) network downloads — though not all of those downloads are illegal — when calculating the amount of illegal file sharing. This can be especially misleading in the case of college students since they have the most access to P2P networks through dorms.

In reality, the RIAA figured out that college dorms have a lot of IP addresses in a small area and that universities have a lot of easy-to-find information. It’s not about hitting the center of the mess; it’s about convenience and efficiency. They don’t care that most students can’t afford to pay even the early settlement; they want money and a large success rate.

So far the UW hasn’t received any letters, but Godfrey said they’re coming. WWU has gotten about 15 so far. The UW is working with students on providing helpful tips for dealing with the situation, but not much is falling in their favor.

Most universities seem like deer in headlights — it’s unfamiliar territory. The RIAA already considers its early settlement policy to be merciful; it’s hard to imagine it backing off. The UW isn’t responsible for its students’ decisions regarding illegal downloads, but it isn’t endorsing the RIAA’s actions either.

In Godfrey’s own words, “We don’t know how all of this will sort out.”