The recording industry warned University of Maine System campuses on Wednesday to crack down on illegal downloading of music files from the Internet.

The Recording Industry Association of America told UMS it has sent 405 of what it calls prelitigation settlement letters to 23 colleges and universities across the nation. UMS is on that list of 23, although it comprises seven universities around the state.

The industry letter says 27 students or other people were allegedly caught downloading, or sharing, music files illegally on the UMS network of computers.

Spokesman John Diamond said UMS has not decided on a course of action.

“What I do know is that of the 27 people that the RIAA is going after, they are all scattered among the seven universities. There is at least one person at each of the seven,” Diamond said. “What we decide to do now is something that will be discussed in the next few days.”

The RIAA said it will allow any person identified as stealing music to resolve copyright infringement claims at a discounted rate before a formal lawsuit is filed.

“Individuals who do take advantage of this prelitigation settlement offer will pay a substantially discounted sum,” said Jenni Engebretsen, spokeswoman for RIAA. “The individuals now have 20 days to contact us, after which point we will file a … lawsuit.”

Downloading, or file sharing, is the practice of making files available for other users over the Internet.

Typically, a person downloads through compression technologies known as mp3 for music or mpg for movies.

People of all ages use the Web to download music. But a survey by market research firm Student Monitor in the spring 2006 found that more than half of college students download music and movies illegally.

There are plenty of options to download music legally – online retailers such as iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and eMusic charge varying amounts for song and album downloads.

Andrew Catalina, 21, a junior at the University of Maine in Orono who is not one of the targets of the letters, said Wednesday in an interview he believes the RIAA is wrongheaded in its tactics.

“Unfortunately, because of lack of proper exposure, file sharers are dubbed evil parasites when in fact they are normal people,” Catalina said. “Until somebody has the resources to fight in court, the RIAA will continue using tactics such as these unchecked.”

The RIAA will not disclose the average amount of money the suspected offenders are being asked to pay in order to avoid a lawsuit. According to lawyers at Ohio University, settlements can range from $3,000 to $5,000.

The accused can visit a Web site set up by the RIAA, www.p2plawsuits.com, where the person can give credit card information to pay for the settlement.

Engebretsen said that the aggressive new tactics are yielding some early results since being launched on Feb. 28.

“We sent 400 letters to 14 colleges and universities during the first wave and another 405 letters today to 23 schools,” she said Wednesday. “We have reached settlements with 116 individuals and are finalizing details with a number of others.”

The RIAA attaches to each letter an Internet service provider address, and it is up to the universities in question to match the ISP addresses with computers so that the letters can be forwarded. If a university declines to forward the letters, the RIAA has said it will file a subpoena for the information.

Other universities targeted in the deterrence program include Boston University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College and the University of Wisconsin System.