Copyright infringement is a serious allegation. Downloading or sharing copyrighted material (such as movies, music, games, & software) from your computer using file-sharing software, such as LimeWire, DC++, and BitTorrent, without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA). Copyright holders, such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and the Business Software Alliance (BSA), are more aggressively initiating legal actions against individuals engaged in illegal file sharing. Students who participate in these activities should be aware they risk federal criminal prosecution and civil litigation.
If a copyright holder files a civil lawsuit against a student it can result in significant financial and legal burden. When a copyright holder chooses to pursue legal action there is little to nothing the university can do to protect students.
File-sharing is a violation of the campus use policies. ResNet does not monitor the content of online activities. However, copyright holders can uniquely identify a computer sharing copyrighted files by recording the computer's IP address, the date and time the file was being shared, and sometimes the username associated with the file-sharing application. The DMCA requires ResNet to remove or disable access to any copyrighted material being shared illegally from within its network when notified by the copyright holder.
When a copyright holder discovers an instance of illegal file-sharing originating from the campus network they will send an official "take down" notice to the University. Upon receipt of this notice the university must take action to stop the alleged copyright infringement from continuing on its network. ResNet takes the following actions:
