Student in federal suit admits illegally downloading music

By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff

Joel Tenenbaum, the Boston University graduate student challenging the recording industry in a federal lawsuit, today matter-of-factly acknowledged that he illegally downloaded hundreds of songs onto his computer as an undergraduate at Goucher College even though he knew the Maryland school prohibited it.

Tenenbaum, 25, also acknowledged that he lied to lawyers for the record labels in sworn statements in recent years when he denied downloading music onto his computer at his home in Providence and said others might have been to blame, including his sisters, friends, and house guests.

Under questioning by Timothy M. Reynolds, who represents four major record labels, Tenenbaum unapologetically described how he downloaded more than 800 songs using Kazaa, a peer-to-peer network. He cheerfully outlined his music tastes, ranging from Nirvana to Aerosmith to Eminem.

"You like Green Day?" Reynolds asked.

"Oh, yeah," Tenenbaum said.