Copyright Policy

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The unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, is against federal copyright laws. 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 Title 17 of the United States Code, Chapter 1, Section 106 of the Copyright Act. As a general matter, copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.

Violators of civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages as outlined in Title 17 of the United States Code, Chapter 5. For more information, see the U.S. Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov, especially their FAQs at www.copyright.gov/help/faq.