Monday, August 13, 2007
You might want to think twice before downloading copyrighted material on campus this fall.
The University of Kansas adopted a zero tolerance approach for illegal downloads and file shares of copyrighted material. Any student found participating in such activities on campus will immediately have his or her personal Internet privileges revoked. The University is not actively pursuing or monitoring student computer activity. However, if the University receives a copyright infringement complaint from an artist or corporation it has a moral and legal responsibility to respond.
“It is the brutal truth. If you download material without an artist’s permission, it is against the law,” said Jenny Mehmedovic, coordinator for information and technology policy and planning. “We have an obligation to take action.”
The new approach is outlined in the KU ResNet Responsible Use Agreement. All students living in University housing must read and acknowledge that they have read the agreement before getting access to the University’s network. Students also must take a quiz over the agreement and downloading regulations.
The University is following steps outlined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that say Internet providers must take immediate action when notified that one of their network users is downloading illegally.
Mehmedovic, DMCA agent for the KU Lawrence campus, said if the University received a notice from an outside organization that implicated a machine was illegally using its copyrighted material, it would respond immediately. Students participating in the illegal activity are identified through the registered IP address linked to the complaint.
Students who receive notices will have their ResNet accounts suspended for five business days. During this time students can file an appeal to the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success. If the appeal is denied, the student loses Internet access in their residence room for the remainder of the time he or she lives in University housing. Students whose privileges are revoked will be able to use computers in campus libraries and other facilities as well as in residence hall resource rooms.
“We are really trying to help pave the way so that there are no surprises,” Mehmedovic said. “We want incoming students to be well aware of the new approach so they are not in the situation where they lose their Internet privileges in their residence hall room.”
According to the Office of Student Success, the zero tolerance approach was mentioned in new student orientation and described in letters to parents and students from the Department of Student Housing and the KU Parents Association. Additional staff training also was placed in each residence hall dormitory room.
In the fall of 2006, 4,542 students registered for Internet access through ResNet. According to Mehmedovic, last year the University had anywhere from 30 complaints in a single day to less than one complaint in an entire week. They come from entertainment representatives such as the Motion Picture Association of America, Business Software Alliance, Recording Industry Association of America and the Interactive Digital Music Corporation.
The number of complaints has risen over the years, but that does not mean the amount of illegal downloads has increased. Mehmedovic said it was possible the entertainment industry was just more aggressively perusing illegal use of its material.
— Edited by Trevan McGee
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