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What will happen if I get caught?
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Violation of the Copyright Law can have serious consequences:
- College Disciplinary Action: Copyright infringement can subject a student
to disciplinary action under Standards VI and VII of the Standards of Conduct
for Students, since violation of law or College policy is grounds for
discipline. (Student Handbook 2002-2003, pp. 143-144). First offenses will
result in a notice from Computing Services to cease illegal activity. Failure
to comply, or further incidents of infringement, will result in referral to the
Dean of the College’s Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Office for disciplinary
action. Sanctions may include suspension of network access (meaning that you
may not be able to send or receive BlitzMail), probation, an official letter of
sanction in your College disciplinary record, or, in very serious cases,
suspension or expulsion. These outcomes might prove harmful to your future job
prospects or academic pursuits, since many employers and graduate and
professional schools require you to disclose College disciplinary action.
- Civil Liability: Persons found to have infringed may be held liable for
substantial damages and attorneys fees. The law entitles a plaintiff to seek
statutory damages of $150,000 for each act of willful infringement. In the
cases filed by the RIAA against students at Princeton, RPI, and Michigan Tech,
the recording industry sued for damages of $150,000 for each recording
infringed.
- Criminal Liability: Copyright infringement also carries criminal penalties
under the federal No Electronic Theft Act. Depending on the number and value of
the products exchanged, penalties for a first offense may be as high as three
years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Dartmouth is not the police; however,
Dartmouth will cooperate with the law enforcement agencies when required.
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