Steen said yesterday that the October decision was not related to the letter but to increased traffic on the network.

"The recording industry is on a roll winning lawsuits and inducing the main players to kneel down. Fewer people will be willing to take the risks Harvard has taken," he said.

However, it is not clear what the recording industry could demand of Harvard, Fisher said.

Until then, Harvard will simply urge students to remember that they are responsible for infringement of copyright laws, panelists said.

The Recording Industry Association of America has identified several Napster users from Harvard who engage in excessive file-sharing and urged Harvard to take action. HASCS has given the pertinent information to Senior Tutors, and those students are encouraged to disband their Napster files to avoid legal conflict.

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society, the Institute of Politics and the Harvard Political Union sponsored yesterday's discussion.

"I thought the panel presented a really nice cross-section of opinions on the issue," said Cedar G. Pruitt, a student at the Graduate School of Education.