The LA Times printed an op-ed titled "Sinking a Music Pirate" from UNC Charlotte student Mickey Borchardt that is a terrible tale of what happens to a student who has to deal with an RIAA lawsuit. After being visited by the FBI, Borchardt hired a lawyer and met with the school's dean.

"The word to describe it is 'shame.' The shame in realizing I'd been monitored for months, with paper logs of my online conversations; the shame of begging my university dean to allow me to remain a student; the shame of continuing to squander such a significant portion of my family's savings on legal fees; the shame of pleading with professors to reschedule tests; the shame of desperately searching for landlords on short notice; and, of course, the shame of knowing I'd stolen the property of others like me who are passionate about the art of music.

The other word is 'fear.' Fear that keeps me awake at night and distracted in class. Fear of my May sentencing date (I pleaded guilty in March) in the same courthouse as Zacarias Moussaoui; fear of the possible prison time I am facing; fear of my job prospects when I graduate college in December with a felony criminal record; and fear for the future I've recklessly damaged.

Borchardt concludes the piece with statements of remorse and regret that are pro-artist and label-friendly, but it could also be used by the anti-RIAA camp as an example of the pain and suffering the lawsuits inflicted on everyday people.