The Recording Industry Association of America says it will not target small violators when it sues people who illegally share copyrighted music on the Internet. The industry group says it only plans to go after violators who are illegal distributing a “substantial amount” of copyrighted music.

“RIAA is in no way targeting ‘de minimis’ users,” wrote Cary Sherman, the group’s president, in a letter the subcommittee released Monday. “RIAA is gathering evidence and preparing lawsuits only against individual computer users who are illegally distributing a substantial amount of copyrighted music.”

Sherman added that his group “does not condone any illegal copying and does not want anyone to think that even a little illegal activity is acceptable.”

The assurance came in a written letter to Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs’ Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He is the head of a Senate panel, which plans to hold hearings on the recording industry’s crackdown against people who download music illegally.

(via The Associated Press)