Acceptable Use Policies and Copyright FAQ

Copyright Issues

Everyone is doing it, so it must be okay.

Illegal possession and distribution of copyrighted materials carry stiff penalties. It is against the law.

MP3 files are okay to copy as long as I delete them when I am finished.I don't download the files myself; I play them off my friend's disk that I've mounted over the network.

It does not matter how long you keep MP3 files or how they get to your computer. It is still wrong and you could still be caught with them on your computer or with logs that showed that you accessed them.

What I do in my room on my computer is my own business.

Not if it is illegal or against College policy. Your computer is connected to a College supplied network, which is in turn connected to the Internet. When law enforcement agencies confiscate computers illegally distributing copyrighted material they also go through the logs. These and other legally obtained file transfer logs can lead back to your computer.

I copy movie clips and since they are only a part of the movie it is okay. I am a radio major so my downloading music files is educational.

The United States' Fair Use policy is poorly defined. There are movie trailers, which are intended by the studio to be distributed on the Internet but come with some restrictions. Even a single frame of a movie, used in the wrong way could result in a copyright violation and conviction. Where there may be a small set of circumstances where fair use would apply, you might find yourself in the position of having to document that your use is in compliance with the law. If there are specific pieces of multimedia you feel you need to use for educational purposes, you should check with the library staff before making the media available on the network in any way.

What is wrong with MP3 directories?

Services such as MP3.COM serve MP3 music in compliance with copyright rules. Services such as AIMSTER make no attempt to verify much of the music listed in its directories-putting you at risk if you download material through their catalog. Napster.com, cuteftp.com, and Audio Galaxy provide you with clients that actually turn your computer into a server. Therefore, the entire world can see MP3 files on your computer (with some limits on access by some clients). Because of this, you are engaging in illegal trafficking in copyrighted materials and the RIAA through NETPD has the capability to look at these files on your computer and collect evidence against you. To avoid this problem, make sure that you understand the applications that are installed on your computer.

What is Limewire and BitTorrent? Are they legal?

Limewire is a peer to peer (P2P) file sharing program used for downloading music, movies, TV shows, videos, etc. BitTorrent is similar, but downloads a file in small bits from multiple sources then pieces them together once they are on your computer.

No, they are not legal, unless you have previously paid for the song or movie and have proof of the purchase.

The programs hide in the background if you click the "X" button, meaning that students often don't know that they are serving files until they get into trouble for excessive bandwidth.

The best way to be sure that you are not sharing files using Limewire or BitTorrent is to not install it in the first place.

I love the Chicago Bears. I see a great photo on Sports Illustrated that I would like to be the wallpaper on my PC.

The photo is probably copyrighted, so it would violate the law to use that photo unless you get written permission from the owner.

Acceptable Use

I can get a free PC camera if I sign up five of my friends for a new PC. Can I email the advertisement to all my friends?

College resources may not be used for any type of personal gain. In addition, you would be using College systems for junk e-mail and spamming which are not allowed.

I'm planning a vacation. During my lunch hour I want to search for travel sites that offer the best deal.

This is permissible as it is reasonable personal use of the web as long as it does not intrude on scheduled work time or overload the network.

Your favorite charity is having a fundraiser. You email all faculty and staff about it.

Using NCC's resources for causes, political or activist purposes is not acceptable.

I am moving and I have furniture that is in good condition that I would like to sell. You email all faculty about it.

Using NCC's resources for personal gain is not permitted.

Is it okay to host my club, business or church home pages because they are nonprofit?

College resources may not be used in direct support of non-college entities, be they business, people, clubs, churches, businesses, family or neighbors. You may include information about such entities as they pertain to you along with a URL in your personal web pages. If you are the primary source of information about any such entity then that is equivalent to hosting their home page for free using College resources.

Can I sign up for those "pay you to surf" services?

You may not if you are using any part of the campus network. These pay to surf services are a violation of College policy. You would be using College resources to support private business. With the right administrative permissions, this activity can be tracked and processed by appropriate supervisors or disciplinary authorities.

I've registered iamthegreatest.org with my ISP that I use at home and created a DNS host record there so that iamthegreatest.org brings up my home page on the web server running on my computer at North Central.

You may not enter the North Central College address space into non-college domains without prior permission. Permission which will only be give for College projects which meet all College policies.