MIT today announced an innovative solution aimed at giving students an alternative to swapping music online. Built around the existing on-campus cable television infrastructure, it relies on a blanket licensing approach that offers a possible model for solving the Internet file-sharing dilemma.

"The students get access to a broad array of music, and the copyright owners get paid. This is where we should all be heading," said Fred von Lohmann, EFF senior staff attorney. "I hope the record industry takes note and realizes this is a whole lot more promising than suing people."