What is the most common form of violation of intellectual property?

Answer 1

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act amends federal copyright law to provide certain liability protections for online service providers, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, when their computer systems or networks carry materials that violate (infringe) copyright law. To qualify for liability protection, the University is required to have a policy under which the computer accounts of users will be terminated if they repeatedly infringe the copyrighted works of others.

II. Policy Statement

Compliance with federal copyright law is expected of all students, faculty, and staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Copyright" is legal protection for creative intellectual works, which is broadly interpreted to cover just about any expression of an idea. Text (including email and Web information), graphics, art, photographs, music, and software are examples of types of works protected by copyright. The creator of the work, or sometimes the person who hired the creator, is the initial copyright owner.

You may "use" all or part of a copyrighted work only if (a) you have the copyright owner's permission, or (b) you qualify for a legal exception (the most common exception is called "fair use"). "Use" of a work is defined for copyright purposes as copying, distributing, making derivative works, publicly displaying, or publicly performing the work.

Copying, distributing, downloading, and uploading information on the internet may infringe the copyright for that information. Even an innocent, unintentional infringement violates the law. Violations of copyright law that occur on or over the University's networks or other computer resources may create liability for the University as well as the computer user. Accordingly, repeat infringers will have their computer account and other access privileges terminated.

Copyright violations are violations of the UNC-CH Data Network Appropriate Use Policy. Violators may be referred to the appropriate disciplinary procedure. Violations of law may also be referred for criminal or civil prosecution. Since copyright infringement is a violation of the student code of conduct, instances involving student infringement may be referred to the Student Attorney General.