Tougher measures against illegal file sharing are on their way to college campuses, according to speakers at a September congressional hearing on movie and music piracy.

The hearings, which included representatives from the University of Florida, the University of Texas at Austin and the Motion Picture Association of America, discussed new technology that could enable colleges to control how students share copyrighted material.

“College campuses today harbor some of the swiftest computer networks in the country and that, unfortunately, has led to a situation where a significant level of piracy is taking place around the clock at our nation’s campuses,” said Richard Taylor, senior vice president of Motion Picture Association of America, in a statement to the House courts, Internet and intellectual property subcommittee.

The University of Florida’s “Icarus” program is among the technologies being discussed. The program limits the size of files students can share and prohibits use of unapproved file-sharing applications in university dormitories.

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Tex., said he is pleased with the University of Florida’s answer to the piracy issue.

“The recent hearing was an opportunity to learn why some universities have clearly stepped up to the plate of educating their students, while others have not. The Subcommittee will continue to hold hearings on [illegal file sharing] to monitor progress and to update Congress on what still needs to be done,” he said.

But many students are not thrilled with the sudden move to curb free music and movie downloads.

“It’s ridiculous to ban [file sharing],” said New York University sophomore Jessica Bhargava. “I’m paying $45,000 a year to go to college and I’m a struggling artist, so if there’s free music or movies out there, I’m going to take it.”

Sales of compact discs have dropped over the last three years because of both legal and illegal downloading of music, according to the Web site of the Recording Industry Association of America.

George Washington University senior Adam Conner said that music companies are driving away remaining customers with measures designed to prevent illegal file sharing.

“I bought a couple of CDs for the first time in months, and when I tried to put them on my iPod I was told that the CD security prohibited it,” he said.

The music and film industry trade groups have been pushing Congress to pass a bill that would permit the Federal Communications Commission to mandate copy protection to in digital music and video players. Congress has not introduced a bill on the issue yet.

As for file sharing, the controversy has just begun. Smith said he supports the passage of anti-piracy legislation.

“I am in full support of peer-to-peer technology for the sharing of non-copyrighted materials. But I think the illegal sharing of copyrighted materials should be stopped,” Smith said.

“Universities are where peer-to-peer piracy flourishes. I am pleased to see progress in combating such piracy,” the representative in a statement.