Copyright Infringement and Peer-to-Peer File-Sharing Guidance
Downloading, copying or using unauthorized copies of music, movies, TV shows or other media can violate federal copyright laws. It is also prohibited by Boston University’s Code of Student Responsibilities and the Acceptable Use of Computing Services Policy. The University’s Annual Notice outline the University’s position on this issue.
Copyright owners, including many large media companies, enforce their rights under the Copyright Act by filing lawsuits against individuals accused of downloading content illegally. The University’ has several resources, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Procedures, a DMCA and Copyright Infringement Resource, and a Copyright Violation Process which explain how the University addresses allegations of illegal file-sharing, including through internal education efforts and disciplinary sanctions.
- DO consider the source when you download music, movies or TV shows. If you don’t recognize the source, it may contain infringing materials.
- DO use legal sources, which are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. A few well-known examples include iTunes, Amazon Music, Pandora, Netflix and Hulu.
- DO disable peer-to-peer clients likely to result in illegal file-sharing.
Additional Resources Regarding This Policy
Policies, Procedures, and Resources
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act Procedures
- DMCA and Copyright Infringement Resource
- Copyright Violation Process
BU Offices
- Dean of Students
- The Dean of Students can answer questions about the Code of Student Responsibilities and its enforcement.
- Information Services and Technology
- IS&T can answer questions about BU’s copyright violation notification process.