Copyright Information, Laws, and Securing Cyberspace

Copyright Information

Goldey-Beacom College stands firm against the unlawful distribution of copyrighted music, movies, software and other works.  Copyright is a form of protection of the intellectual property of others.  It would be incorrect to assume that just because something is posted on the Internet, it is in public domain, and free for you to use! 

To comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), the Office of Information Technology (OIT) has established the following technology/plans:

• Information about copyrights, illegal downloading, violations, etc. is
  • disseminated at the new student orientation,
  • distributed to all students each year via the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct, and
  • published on the College website.
• Security policies on the network will temporarily disconnect users who try to access P2P networks, e.g. Limewire, BearShare, KaZaA, BitTorrent, etc., or network activity deemed to be harmful to the GBC Network. 
• Students using the College wireless network cannot complete the setup configuration if any of the above software is actively running.
• The College will provide students with a list of alternative websites for legal downloading via this page.

Please view the following links for additional copyright information:

• United State Copyright Office
• Respect Copyrights
• Copyright, Intellectual Property Rights, Fair Use
• Copyright Law of the United States
• Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
• Anti-Piracy
• FAQ's about downloading

The Office of Information Technology periodically monitors network activity which includes file sharing.  Individuals violating copyright laws also risk having lawsuits brought against them by the copyright owners or their agents and could be liable for statutory damages up to $30,000 per item (song, movie, etc.) and up to $150,000 plus imprisonment if the infringement is willful.  CampusDownloading.com and WhatstheDownload.com list alternative sites for legally downloading music on the web.

The Laws

Using computing and network facilities in committing crimes such as harassment, fraud, identify theft, and other crimes is not excusable.  The State of Delaware and the federal government have laws that make computer crimes a serious offense.  Use the following links for additional information about the laws:

• Computer Fraud and Related Activity
• Delaware Criminal Code
• Educause -- Computer Policy and Law Home
• Delaware Code - Spam Laws

Securing Cyberspace

The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace asks us "to secure the portions of cyberspace" that we own and operate.  This means our own PCs.  Students are responsible for securing their PC from the threats of intruders who may want to use their network identification and authorization to cause national harm.  Be sure that the PC operating system is updated with the latest security patches; protect the PC with a password; install and update virus protection software; and do not open the PC to others on the network.