US service for a song

Some US universities are looking at providing a service under which students can download music from the internet for a fee in response to a music industry crackdown on illegal downloading of copyrighted songs.

About two dozen universities are considering licensing songs from music providers and charging students for the service.

The music industry has sued students for illegally downloading copyrighted songs and named universities whose computers were used to do this.

"The file-sharing issue is the latest in a set of issues where law, technology and culture clash," Massachusetts Institute of Technology chancellor Philip Clay said.

"As an educational institution, we have an obligation to help students understand this clash and to work with all parties to explore lawful means to take advantage of the new technologies," he said.