New York - The Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA) has sent another round of letters to universities where students are believed to be engaged in illegal music file-sharing, Billboard reported on Wednesday.

A total of 405 letters were sent to 23 universities, asking each school to identify on their own each alleged infringer and forward them the RIAA's letter -- which offers a discounted settlement before a formal lawsuit is filed.

The University of Wisconsin received the most letters (66), followed by Boston University (50) and Purdue University (38).

"This is not our preferred course, but we hope that students will understand the consequences of stealing music and that our partners in the college community will appreciate the proactive role they can play," said RIAA president Cary Sherman.

The RIAA sent several hundred similar letters to students at 13 universities last month, saying part of its impetus was calls from students for a way to settle the matters without their names appearing in a lawsuit.

The Associated Press reported that the standard settlement offered by the RIAA is $3000, while some have settled for as much as $5,000.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/yspt7a (Billboard)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070309/ap_en_mu/downloading_music_ohio_u_1

http://www.p2pnet.net/story/11726

http://www.riaa.com