Stay Connected: ResComp Policies
Home Bandwidth Policy Illegal Filesharing Resources Minimum Security Requirements Appropriate Use PolicyCopyright Infringement
The University takes copyright protection very seriously. Many scholars and music artists rely on copyright to protect their intellectual property.
Peer-to-peer file sharing applications are often used to share copyrighted material such as songs, movies, software applications, and games. If you share copyrighted material without permission, you are breaking the law and could be subject to University and/or criminal sanctions. The entertainment industry has pledged to sue individuals who unlawfully share copyrighted material.
Residential Computing wants you to have an enjoyable and worry-free experience on the Internet. We're on your side! Please use legal alternatives to illegal downloading and do not violate copyright laws.
Please review our Appropriate Use Policy and be aware of our enforcement procedures.
Enforcement Procedures
Take-Down Notice
If you are caught sharing copyrighted material on the Internet, UC Berkeley receives a “take down” notice from the agency representing the copyright holder (RIAA, MPAA, etc.) The University then forwards residence hall complaints to Residential Computing (ResComp).
ResComp then sends an email letting the resident know that we received a take-down notice and the resident's In-Room Connection is deactivated for one week. In this email, we encourage the resident to look at legal options for file-sharing on the Internet. In the case of a second copyright infringement notice, the resident's In-Room Connection is disabled again and an incident report will be filed to the Manager for Student Judicial Affairs and Compliance.
Subpoena
It is possible for you to get caught sharing copyrighted material and not receive a take down notice. Instead, UC Berkeley receives a subpoena warning on your behalf and ResComp sends you a formal notice of the impending subpoena, as well as a copy of the subpoena warning. In the formal notice, you are advised to seek legal counsel at your own cost or contact the Office of Attorney for Students.
Pre-Settlement Letter
The other possibility is that the resident accused of allegedly sharing copyrighted material may never receive a subpoena or take down notice, but rather a "pre-settlement letter." In this scenario, RIAA lets the resident know that they've been caught illegally sharing copyrighted material and they can either pay the "fines" up front, or risk getting sued for much more. Pre-settlement costs range from $4000-5000 per file. Don't let this happen to you!
