(U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Some members of Congress are applauding Pennsylvania State University's decision to make legal file sharing available, but some students are still wary of the change.

Gene Smith, a spokeswoman for Rep. Howard L. Berman, D-28-Calif., said the merge between Napster and Penn State creates a positive step forward in combating piracy.

"It shows that, with a little cooperation, the university and copyright communities can develop creative solutions to the campus piracy epidemic," Berman said in a press release.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said the idea of a legal file-sharing environment should be a goal of all universities.

"A legal online music marketplace — one that compensates artists and offers listeners high-quality music — is what we all want to see flourish," Smith said in a written statement.

Both Smith and Berman are members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. Both congressmen said other schools should follow the lead of Penn State.

"If other colleges and universities take similar steps, the widespread violation of intellectual property rights on campuses will be sharply reduced," Smith said.

Berman said creating a file-sharing system would be one way to stop bandwidth clogging within universities, among other benefits.

"By providing their students with low-cost access to legal music, on the one hand, and taking action to stop piratical activity on the other, universities can return their bandwidth to the educational reasons for which it was created," Berman said.

But some students had a different view.

Matt Radecic (freshman-computer engineering) said bandwidth limits may actually become more of an issue for some students.

"I don't think people realize that they don't have free will to listen to as many songs as they want because there will still be a limit," Radecic said.

Because the songs will not stay on a person's computer, every time the student goes to listen to it they will be using part of their bandwidth up, Radecic said.

Ryan Lynch (sophomore-astrophysics and astronomy) said his biggest problem with the service was the proposed firewall which will limit or block students' access to programs like Kazaa.

"Kazaa is legal; most of the activity on it is illegal, but the program is legal, so to block it completely is unnecessary and unreasonable," Lynch said. "It seems to me as an invasion of our rights."

Lynch said the actual legal file-sharing program is a good thing but he doesn't understand why Penn State has to take away Kazaa as well.

"I think they are taking it away to protect students, but we're adults and it's up to us to protect ourselves and be responsible for our own actions," he said.

Pennsylvania congressmen had less to say on the issue.

Stephanie Fisher, press secretary for Rep. Jim Greenwood, R-8, Doylestown, said it is a positive, legal agreement between the music industry and the university.

Greenwood had no further opinion.

A press secretary for Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-2, Philadelphia, declined to comment due to lack of knowledge of the topic.

Rep. Melissa Hart, R-4, Murrysville, also a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Internet and Intellectual Property, did not return calls for comments.

Reps. Robert Brady, D-1, Philadelphia, John Peterson, R-5, Pleasantville, Curt Weldon, R-7, Aston and Tim Holden, D-17, Harrisburg, also did not return phone calls.

— Jessica Golden