For music-downloadin’ students everywhere, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the boogieman – an ethereal entity that you hear frightening stories about and hope you never encounter.

But, not all students are lucky enough to Matrix dodge the “You’re getting sued for copyright infringement” bullet.

Joel Tenenbaum, a Boston University undergraduate, recently received a notice from the RIAA informing him that he had illegally downloaded music and must pay a hefty fine. When he refused, the RIAA sued him.

Luckily for Joel, he has friends in high places – friends at Harvard Law.

The Crimson reports:

Harvard Law School professor Charles R. Nesson ’60, who has taken on Tenenbaum’s case.

[…] “The plaintiffs and the RIAA are seeking to punish him beyond any rational measure of the damage he allegedly caused,” Nesson wrote. “They do this, not for the purpose of recovering compensation for actual damage caused by Joel’s individual action, nor for the primary purpose of deterring him from further copyright infringement, but for the ulterior purpose of creating an urban legend so frightening to children using computers, and so frightening to parents and teachers of students using computers, that they will somehow reverse the tide of the digital future.”

Let’s all give a standing ovation to Mr. Nesson. It’s about time someone stood up to the RIAA.

Hopefully, Nesson wins the case, because if he doesn’t, it may spell the end of all P2P applications, including Kazaa and Limewire.