Title: P2P File Sharing Action Plan
Effective Date: October 1, 2013
Issuing Authority: Information Technology
Program Coordinators: Chief Information Officer for Libraries and IT
Last Updated: October 1, 2020
St. Olaf College respects the copyrights of third parties and requires all employees and students to comply with copyright law. The distribution of and copying of copyrighted digital files (music, videos, textbooks, etc.) is a direct violation of copyright law. Violations of copyright law, as noted in IT’s statement on Acceptable Use of Technology, are grounds for disciplinary review and loss of computing and networking privileges.
How will we educate our students about the law and how it applies to him/her at St. Olaf?
Each fall the Dean of Students Office will send to the entire student body a letter that will describe the laws governing P2P activities, how it applies to them while at St. Olaf, the consequences of non-compliance (including St. Olaf’s inability to protect them from prosecution or assist them in their defense), guide them to websites where they can download videos and music legally, some at no cost, as well as provide a link to a web page that provides answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about digital copyright as it relates to file sharing.
How will St. Olaf College address illegal file sharing activities?
If the St. Olaf DMCA Agent is notified that illegal file sharing has occurred, the agent will notify the student of the violation via an e-mail message. The message contains details about the violation, directs the student to information about illegal file sharing, and informs the students what will happen if they violate policy again. A copy of this e-mail message is filed in the student’s file in the Dean of Students Office.
What happens if a student is a repeat offender?
If the college receives a second notice that a student has been involved in illegal file sharing, the DMCA Agent will notify the Dean of Students Office. If found responsible for violating the St. Olaf College Acceptable Use of Technology policy they may lose network access for all of their personal computer(s) and other network devices for one month. Copies of all correspondence will be maintained in the student’s file in the Dean of Students Office.
Immediately upon notification of the third offense, the DMCA Agent will notify the Dean of Students Office. If found responsible for violating the St. Olaf College Acceptable Use of Technology policy they may lose network access for their personal computer(s) and other network devices for one year. Copies of all correspondence will be maintained in the student’s file in the Dean of Students Office.
A fourth offense results in the permanent suspension of all computing and network privileges and will result in disciplinary action.