The Recording Industry Association of America has fired off another round of lawsuits against purported file-sharers.

The lawsuits finger a total of 717 individuals, 68 of which belong to universities. This action is the RIAA's first mass litigation since November, when it sued 761 users of "unauthorized" peer-to-peer software.

The RIAA considers its lawsuits to be an "educational tool," which have the affect of reminding music fans about the law while encouraging the broad adoption of legal alternatives. The tactic of using legal pressure to force change appears to have been adopted by the Motion Picture Association of America, which filed suit its second round of lawsuits against motion picture file-swappers on Wednesday.

From BetaNews