Users of Drew’s network are prohibited from using the network to illegally download or share copyrighted materials, including music, games, movies and videos. Such activity is illegal and may subject you to a variety of serious penalties. It may also expose your confidential information or make your computer insecure. Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing is against the law, and may subject offenders to civil and criminal liabilities.
Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws
Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.
Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or "statutory" damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For "willful" infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys' fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505.
Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.
For more information, please see the Web site of the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov, especially their FAQ's at www.copyright.gov/help/faq.
If your computer contains illegal files, the University cannot provide you with support services or protect you from copyright complaints. The University may be required to disclose information about you to a complainant for use in pursuing legal action against you. It is the policy of the University to respond to verifiable complaints of copyright infringement by requiring the cessation of such activity. If additional verifiable complaints of such activity are received, they will be referred to Dean of Campus Life, and offenders will be subject to loss of network privileges and/or other forms of discipline if they are found responsible for violating the Student Conduct Policy.