Alex Honigman can't remember exactly what he was looking for on the Web that October night, but he insists it wasn't what he ended up with: the latest Clint Eastwood movie.
Nonetheless, when the Pitzer College junior clicked open the file containing scenes from the Eastwood thriller "Blood Work," he tripped an electronic alarm system at Warner Bros., the film's producer, which then notified his Claremont school.
In no time, Honigman, 20, was suspended briefly from the campus computer network and required to write a letter of apology to the Hollywood studio. Pitzer administrators also warned him that a second offense could bring a year's suspension from the network.
"They told me ... Warner Bros. could prosecute the college," Honigman said. "It was pretty unnerving."
Pitzer, along with many other U.S. colleges, is struggling to contain the flood of unauthorized music and movie files moving through campus computer networks. The actions are spurred in part by growing complaints from the entertainment industry that students are, in effect, stealing copyrighted material.
But colleges also have a more practical concern: The near-constant downloading of songs, movies, games and software is overwhelming many campus networks, slowing their use in research and teaching.
"When this starts impairing the legitimate academic pursuits of faculties and students, you have to do something," said Sheldon Steinbach, general counsel of the American Council on Education, a leading advocacy group for colleges and universities.
In the most severe campus crackdown to date, the Naval Academy last month confiscated the computers of nearly 100 students suspected of having downloaded unauthorized copies of music and movies. The midshipmen, who are bound by an ethics code that bars cheating and stealing, could face penalties from loss of leave to court-martial and expulsion, a spokesman said.
Most schools, including Pitzer, are taking a more measured approach. Many administrators are reluctant to become virtual police or snoop into students' private lives. Nevertheless, colleges are using new technologies that limit network capacity for file-swapping, adopting stiffer disciplinary policies and making renewed attempts to teach students about copyright laws.
"It's a teachable moment," Steinbach said. "If we don't try and impart the value of intellectual property when these young men and women are students, we will have failed to take advantage of an incredible opportunity."
Film companies have a new tool to help: automated detection systems -- called "spying" devices by students -- that can be hidden in pirated files. These virtual alarms alert the copyright holder to an unauthorized user and can pinpoint that person's Internet address. As in Honigman's case, a college can be notified when there's a problem.
The toughest challenge may be to convince students that what they are doing is wrong. Downloading has almost become a way of life.
"It's right there in front of your face, and it's so easy," said Matt Turzo, an 18-year-old Pitzer student from Pennsylvania. "You're not going to not do it."
His friend Liz Whippy, 19, a sophomore, agreed. "We get letters from the deans about it sometimes but most of us are, like, delete, delete. They're serious, but I guess we kind of turn a deaf ear to it."
Universities are trying to make sure they are heard. Even liberal institutions such as Pitzer are starting to talk -- and act -- tougher.
"When they get that letter [from the college] saying there's potential FBI action, that really gets their attention," said Mark Ingalls, Pitzer's director of information technology.
The entertainment industry has been leaning on college administrators to do their part. Industry groups sent a joint letter to 2,300 colleges and universities in October, urging them to crack down on unauthorized file swapping and to warn their students of possible consequences.
" 'Theft' is a harsh word, but that it is, pure and simple," the groups stated. "Students must know that if they pirate copyrighted works they are subject to legal liability."
That letter was followed by a mailing from six higher education associations to colleges, asking them to review their policies on the matter and consider using the latest technologies to fight it.
Representatives of higher education groups and movie and recording industry organizations will meet in Washington, D.C., next week to discuss the issue, said John Vaughn, executive vice president of the Assn. of American Universities. "Our sense is that this is clearly enough of a problem now that it needs a more comprehensive look."
Universities have struggled with the issue for several years, since the advent of the now-defunct Napster, the first Internet file-sharing service, made it simple for users to copy music online for free. But the problem has grown, with new generations of students taking advantage of Napster successors such as Kazaa -- and the high-speed connections available on many campuses.
