Annual Copyright Notification of Students to meet HEOA Requirements

Annually inform students that the illegal distribution of copyrighted materials may subject them to criminal and civil penalties and that describes the steps that institutions will take to detect and punish illegal distribution of copyrighted materials.

Downloading or distributing copyrighted material, including through peer-to-peer file sharing, without the permission of the copyright owner is against the law. Illegal downloading or distribution of copyrighted materials can result in your being prosecuted in criminal court and/or sued for damages in civil court. Criminal penalties for first-time offenders can be as high as five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. If sued in civil court, you may be responsible for monetary damages, attorneys’ fees, and civil penalties up to $150,000 per work distributed. Use of SCC’s resources for unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials is forbidden.

The College prohibits illegal copyright infringement through its acceptable use policy and in its student conduct code. Disciplinary action, including loss of use of the College information technology systems up to and including expulsion from the College could result from violations of this policy.

As an SCC student you are required to adhere to all college policies including those that relate to copyrights. These include but are not limited to:

• Students are required to adhere to all SCC policies related to copyright and fair use. This information is posted on the SCC website and includes information on copyright, guidelines of copyright laws and fair use:
• SCC Library Copyright Policy
• Board Policies & Administrative Procedures: 400: Student Body and Educational Programs:
• 410.0 Student Conduct, Discipline, and Due Process
• Agent to Receive Notification of Claimed Copyright Infringement
• Board Policies & Administrative Procedures: 481.2 Copyright
• Board Policies & Administrative Procedures: 800 Information Technology/Computer Usage
• Student Handbook, Copyright Violations
• All students are required to comply with the practices stated in the Information Technology Student Information Student Acceptable Use Policy which is posted on the SCC website. SCC board-policy 800/801 IT Resources
• All students are required to comply with the Conduct for Computer Use Policy posted in each computer lab and on the SCC website.
• Students who are found to be in violation of any SCC policy, including copyright violations, will be adjudicated through the Student Conduct, Discipline, and Due Process procedures, located in the Student handbook. See Board Policy 410, Student Conduct, Discipline and Due Process. Student may also be prosecuted in criminal court or be sued for damages in civil court for violations of copyright laws. Cases involving copyright violations will be referred to the campus police, who will forward a report to the prosecuting attorney’s office for their review.

Many legal sources are available for copyrighted material such as music and movies. Some are free and some charge a nominal fee. A current and comprehensive compendium of legal sources can be found at the Motion Picture Association of American website, http://www.mpaa.org/. The SCC Library makes available licensed journal, music, and image resources to support instruction for currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff members at http://www.stchas.edu/academics/student-resources/library/library-databases.html. These licensed resources require electronic authentication based upon patron files that are regularly updated.

You need to be aware that sharing music, videos, software, and other copyrighted material may be a violation of the law and can expose you and those with whom you share materials to civil and criminal penalties. Please be responsible in your use of copyrighted materials.