Copyright

Copyright

California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), respects copyrights and expects members of the university community to uphold copyright law. One should assume that any creative material (e.g., recordings, films, books) is protected by copyright unless specific permission is given to copy it.

Uploading or downloading works protected by copyright without the authority of the copyright owner is an infringement of the copyright owner's exclusive rights of reproduction and/or distribution. Anyone found to have infringed a copyrighted work may be liable for statutory damages up to $30,000 for each work infringed and, if willful infringement is proven by the copyright owner, that amount may be increased up to $150,000 for each work infringed. In addition, an infringer of a work may also be liable for the attorney's fees incurred by the copyright owner to enforce his or her rights.

Reference: “Copyright and Digital Files,” United States Copyright Office. Accessed August 15, 2018.

CSUDH is not liable for copyright infringements, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, on its networks and cannot protect students or employees from publishers’ legal actions. The copyright agent at CSUDH receives infringement notices from a variety of publishers, including NBC Universal, HBO, and the Recording Industry of America Association, Inc. (RIAA). An investigation follows. Violations of applicable laws are referred to the violator’s direct supervisor (if an employee) or the Vice President of Student Affairs (if a student). Violations of the law may result in the loss or restriction of access to CSUDH information technology resources and may lead to a federal lawsuit and/or academic discipline.