NBCUniversal, a leading voice for content protection,
confirms that it has named Gregory Jackson to head up a new student outreach
effort to stem online piracy of TV shows and movies.
In 2010, a law was passed that puts federal funds at risk to
any school that doesn't do enough to try and stop illegal
file sharing on their campuses .
Jackson, who most recently has been VP for policy at
EDUCAUSE, an international higher-education IT association, will be based in
Washington and report to Rick Cotton, executive VP and general counsel.
Jackson's charter is to help schools and universities point
their students toward "appropriate" -- as in legal -- means of
obtaining digital content.
"We see this new role as a critically important part of our
long-term campaign to highlight legitimate online outlets for TV and movies,
while at the same time educating key audiences about the corrosive impact of
digital theft on employment," Cotton said in announcing the new hire.
While at EDUCAUSE, Jackson was on the Joint Committee of the
Higher Education and Entertainment Communities, which also included the Motion
Picture Association of America (Universal is a member).
He is former VP and CIO at the University of
Chicago and while there testified before Congress on copyright compliance,
according to NBCU.
