Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal
authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner
under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code).
These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In
the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a
copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.
Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In
general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to
pay either actual damages or "statutory" damages affixed at not less than $750
and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For "willful" infringement, a
court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its
discretion, also assess costs and attorneys' fees. For details, see Title 17,
United States Code, Sections 504, 505.
Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including
imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.
For more information on copyright, please see the Web site of the U.S. Copyright Office at
www.copyright.gov, especially their FAQ's at
www.copyright.gov/help/faq/ .
Watch Video: "Don’t Copy That!" – Please watch the entire video – including the interviews after the music video. http://vimeo.com/19719638
The Technology Policy at North Iowa Area Community College can be found in
the current NIACC College Catalog and Student Handbook
in the section on Academic/Disciplinary Policies. See also also the online
version -
www.niacc.edu/techserv/techpol.html
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