The policy
Reproducing, distributing, or downloading copyrighted material — music, film, software, games, books, images — without permission of the copyright holder is illegal and violates university policy, including the acceptable-use policy for the campus network. This applies whether the material is shared through a peer-to-peer application, a direct download, a streaming re-host, or a shared drive.
The risks
Civil penalties for copyright infringement can run from $750 to $30,000 per work, and up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement, plus the copyright holder's legal costs. Criminal penalties for large-scale infringement include fines and imprisonment. Peer-to-peer applications also frequently expose the user's own files and carry malware.
What the university does
The university responds to valid infringement notices from copyright holders. On a first notice, network access for the device is suspended until the student completes an educational module and confirms the material is removed; repeat notices go to student conduct and can result in loss of network access and further sanctions. The university uses bandwidth-shaping and monitors for the traffic patterns of unauthorized distribution, but does not inspect the contents of private communications.
Legal alternatives
A large and growing set of legal services offer music, film, television, software, and books by subscription, rental, purchase, or ad-supported streaming. Many are free to students or discounted, and the library licenses streaming media and e-books that any enrolled student can use at no cost. EDUCAUSE maintains a public list of legal sources of online content.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Every figure, rate, policy and disclosure on this page is invented; nothing here reflects a real institution.