Information Security @ Tulane
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Policies & Guidelines Important Facts About Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Programs Overview Avoid the peer-to-peer headache by using CDIGIX for your media download enjoyment. Recent Supreme Court decision regarding peer-to-peer software Downloading and sharing copyrighted files is a serious issue. Universities throughout the country are struggling to cope with the growing problem of university resources being used for illegal file sharing. This document provides a brief discussion about the legal ramifications of sharing copyrighted materials and describes the impact of peer-to-peer programs on your computer and the network. Peer-to-peer file sharing, as a method of file transfer, is legal. If you want to share your grocery list with the world, that is acceptable. Peer-to-peer file sharing is not legal when copyrighted material is shared without consent of the owner of the copyright. Additionally, peer-to-peer file sharing consumes excessive amounts of Tulane University's network bandwidth. Tulane University has more than enough bandwidth to accommodate all of your academic needs- 90 Mbps. Legal issues a. What you CAN do The DMCA, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (1998) seeks to protect copyright holders from the technological circumvention of previous copyright statues. In 1976 the concept of "Fair Use" was added to the existing copyright clause of the US Constitution. Fair use is not defined in the constitution, it was decided in the courts. There are, however, Supreme Court decisions that have defined fair use based on other cases that can reasonably be interpreted to mean the following:
These same principles apply to movies, books, or any other copyrighted material that you may own. b. What you CANNOT do Distributing, uploading, downloading, and transmitting
music and movies without the consent of the copyright owner
is illegal. The same way software vendors (such as
Microsoft) actively seek out and prosecute unauthorized use
of their software, the music and movie industries have begun
to seek out computer systems and individuals who upload,
download, and transmit music and movies in digital formats
without authorization. As a university student, you are particularly vulnerable to the watchful eyes of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America). Copyright holders contact Tulane on a regular basis demanding that the illegal distribution of their material be stopped. Please be aware of the consequences of your actions. If Technology Services is contacted by a copyright holder and notified that a certain IP address is distributing copyrighted material without their consent, we will block that IP from connecting to the network while we investigate the matter.
Network Performance Peer-to-peer file sharing programs significantly degrade the speed of the network and of your computer processor. If your neighbor (or your computer) is acting as a file server and sharing DVDs and MP3s, your network speed will substantially diminish. Please be aware that the network belongs to Tulane and we will do what is necessary to ensure that we have the proper resources available for the appropriate academic pursuits. As a Tulane student that uses the Tulane network, you are obliged to follow certain policies, one of which is the Responsible Use of Bandwidth. System Vulnerabilities Popular peer-to-peer file sharing programs, such as KaZaA and Morpheus, contain spyware that can record computer usage, deliver advertising and other unsolicited files, and allow others access to your files and resources. You are also vulnerable to Trojan horses and other malicious code every time you download a file. Student Responsibilities Immediately uninstall or disable file sharing if you have a peer-to-peer program installed on your computer. For detailed instructions on this, please call the Help Desk at 862-8888 or refer to this web page: http://security.uchicago.edu/peer-to-peer/no_fileshare.shtml Your cooperation in protecting your computer while maintaining the speed and integrity of the Tulane network is appreciated. Resources http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm http://www.riaa.com/Copyright-Laws-4.cfm http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/washington_lawyer/february_2003/access.cfm |
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