Copyright Infringement Policies and Sanctions  (including Computer Use and File Sharing)

Schools must readily make available to current and prospective students the school’s policies and sanctions related to copyright infringement.

Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject the students to a variety of civil and criminal penalties.  

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 website of the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov.

Internet – Terms and Conditions (from UHC Student Handbook)  

Acceptable Use- School use must be in support of education and research and consistent with educational objectives of the College. Use of other organization’s network or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network.  Access and/or transmission of any material in violation of any U.S. or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret.  Use of product advertisement or political lobbying is prohibited. Use for commercial activities is not acceptable.