Downloading copyrighted music from the World Wide Web without paying for it is a violation of federal law. Is it unethical, too?

A representative of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and an attorney experienced in Internet legal issues will debate the issue at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in Hollister Hall Auditorium on the Cornell University campus. The debate, titled "What part of 'Jailhouse Rock' don't you understand?" is open to all.

Matthew Oppenheim, senior vice president for legal affairs at RIAA, will square off with Robert Hamilton, a partner in the international law firm, Jones Day. The event is sponsored by Cornell's University Computer Policy and Law program (UCPL).

Oppenheim, a 1993 graduate of the Cornell Law School, is involved in the legal battle over whether Verizon Corp. should reveal the names of its Internet subscribers who were engaged in online file-sharing of popular music. Hamilton has worked on several cases involving the liability of Internet service providers. He is a charter member of the Cornell/EDUCAUSE Institute for Computer Policy and Law.

"Akin to civil rights 40 years ago, this issue may be one of the most important political issues of our students' generation," says Tracy Mitrano, policy adviser to Cornell's Office of Information Technologies and director of UCPL.