Information Technology at Goucher College

Policies

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Copyright Law

Recently, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) [ http://www.riaa.org/ ] filed civil suits against students at several universities, including Michigan Tech, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Princeton University, seeking damages from them for copyright infringement resulting from peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. In addition, the RIAA has placed increasing pressure on institutions of higher learning to take action against copyright violations attributable to such conduct. Some uses of the P2P technologies are perfectly legitimate, but conduct such as copying and sharing of music files without the authorization of the copyright owner, for example, is not.

Violation of copyright law can have serious consequences in the area of:

Civil Liability: Persons found to have infringed may be held liable for substantial damages and attorneys fees. The law entitles a plaintiff to seek statutory damages of $150,000 for each act of willful infringement. In the cases filed by the RIAA against students at Princeton, RPI, and Michigan Tech, the recording industry sued for damages of $150,000 for each recording infringed.
Criminal Liability: Copyright infringement also carries criminal penalties under the federal No Electronic Theft Act. Depending on the number and value of the products exchanged, penalties for a first offense may be as high as three years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The college supports a climate of trust and respect and does not ordinarily read, monitor, or screen electronic mail, Internet Access, or the computer activities of individuals. The college expects students to be aware of current laws and applicable college policies with respect to computer, network, and Internet activities.

Pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the College has designated an agent [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=141 ] to receive notices of copyright infringement from copyright owners. If the College receives notification from a copyright owner that you have engaged in infringing activity, such as P2P file-sharing, it will investigate such complaint, and, if appropriate, notify you to take down the offending material and cease from engaging in such conduct. In addition, if you violate copyright law by engaging in unauthorized file sharing, you may be subject to discipline under the College’s Copyright Policy, computer use policies and other applicable policies. Violations of copyright law may also subject you to civil and criminal prosecution.

Policies: Additional Information

Computer Use Policy [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=40 ]
Computer Replacement Guidelines [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=95 ]
Computer Quotas and Data Retention [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=79 ]
Guidelines for Campus-wide E-Mail [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=96 ]
Information Security Program (DRAFT) [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=115 ]
Electronic Communication Policy (DRAFT) [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=116 ]
Intellectual Property Policy (DRAFT) [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=117 ]
Copyright Policy (DRAFT) [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=123 ]
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Compliance [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=141 ]
System Administrator Policy [ http://www.goucher.edu/it/index.cfm?page_id=144 ]