Graham Spanier - Internet and Copyright Issues

Internet and Copyright Issues

Graham Spanier has an interest in internet technology and he was a founding member of the Internet2 board. He was recognized by Al Gore in 1997 for his work on the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID). More recently Spanier became an outspoken critic of unmonitored online file sharing, and testified before Congress in 2002 about the issue.

He was the first University president to collaborate with music companies in an effort to halt illegal file sharing among students when Penn State signed a contract with Napster that provided all students access to Napster's music catalog. He signed a contract with Ruckus Network in 2007 which provides ad-supported access to millions of songs and videos to Penn State students. He served as co-chair of the Committee on Higher Education and the Entertainment Industry.

Colleges and universities are collaborative communities. In that spirit, many different segments of academia have contributed their views and perspectives on how higher education should address the issues posed by illegal file-sharing. And we have some level of responsibility for the well being of millions of young men and women who, while in the transition from adolescence to adulthood, are massive consumers of entertainment products at the same time they are developing personal value systems.

— Graham Spanier, "Peer to Peer Piracy on University Campuses: An Update"