University policy on peer-to-peer file sharing

Any of the following activities, if done without permission of the copyright owner: Copying and sharing images, music, movies, or other copyrighted material through the use of P2P technology Purchasing a CD or DVD and then making copies for others Posting or plagiarizing copyrighted material on your personal webspace Downloading anything of which you don't already own a copy software, MP3s, movies, etc.

What does UVM policy say about copyright infringement? Are MP3s illegal? Some are copyright free. Most MP3s available for "free" don't fall into either category. MP3 files are completely legal, but it's illegal to make or distribute MP3s of music recordings that you don't already own, or which you haven't obtained permission to reproduce from the copyright owner.

In almost all cases, sharing MP3s over the campus network is also illegal. United States copyright law allows you to create MP3s only for your personal use and only of songs to which you already have rights. You can make MP3s only of songs for which you already own the CD or tape. And personal use means for you alone - you can't make copies and give or sell them to other people.

UVM system administrators do not routinely police our network for illegal activity, but they must respond to formal legal complaints they receive. Also, if your computer begins to consume excessive network resources, Enterprise Technology Services will investigate your network activities to keep the network operating smoothly.

Some people are under the impression that their activity on the Internet is largely anonymous or untraceable, but this is untrue. Almost all your activity on the Internet is logged on many of the computer systems you use, and while these logs usually are not inspected, they certainly can be used to confirm or implicate you in illegal activity.

Copyright holders file subpoenas to learn the identity of people illegally sharing or copying protected material. The University is obligated to comply with legally valid subpoenas, and cannot shield students and others from exposure. How often does UVM receive "takedown" notices from the recording industry or other copyright holders? What will happen if I get caught? Violation of the Copyright Law can have serious consequences: University Disciplinary Action: Copyright infringement can subject a student to disciplinary action under the UVM Code since violation of law or University policy is grounds for discipline.

First offenses will result in a notice from Computing and Information Technology, copied to the Office of Judicial Affairs, to cease illegal activity. Failure to comply, or further incidents of infringement, will result in a referral to Judicial Affairs for disciplinary action. Sanctions may include suspension of network access meaning that you may not be able to send or receive email or go online , probation, an official letter of sanction in your University disciplinary record, or, in very serious cases, suspension or expulsion.

These outcomes might prove harmful to your future job prospects or academic pursuits since many employers and graduate and professional schools require you to disclose University disciplinary action. Employees are subject to discipline that can result in job termination.

If you can't readily be contacted after a complaint, or if you do not respond, your network access will be suspended. Civil Liability: Persons found to have infringed may be held liable for substantial damages and attorneys' fees.

But if everyone breaks the rules, how can you punish just one person? Just because the government, or a company that sues you, or the Office of Judicial Affairs, cannot administer sanctions equally does not mean that they cannot administer them at all. As with speeding tickets, "everyone else was doing it" will not satisfy an enforcement officer or provide an excuse for illegal behavior. The Act contains a number of other provisions, including prohibitions on circumvention of technological protection measures among others.

Peer-to-peer —a network environment where participants share their resources such as files, disk storage, or processing power directly with their peers without having to go through an intermediary network host or server.

Peer-to-peer file sharing applications and programs —programs or services that use peer-to-peer technology to share music, movies, software, or other digitally stored files. Notification of violations Authorized users are requested to report any incident of possible misuse or violation of this policy to the department of Information Technology. The Department of Information Technology is responsible for the appropriate enforcement of this policy.

Alleged violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act will be addressed via the university Copyright policy.

This is a necessary action taken to prevent further misuse and does not presume that the account holder initiated the misuse. The University allows the use of peer-to-peer and file sharing applications for legitimate business and academic use.

For that reason, peer-to-peer and file sharing applications are allowed on the campus network. However, since a disproportionate amount of peer-to-peer traffic consists of downloading movies, music, videos, and games for personal enjoyment, there are a few things you should know about peer-to-peer and file sharing applications:.