On October 28, 1998, the   Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)  was enacted by congress. The Act gives protection from liability for copyright infringement to online service providers who comply with the provisions of the Act. Colleges and universities are considered to be online service providers and are subject to this Act. This page serves as the contact point notification for Northeast State Community College as required by the Act. This institution has filed the proper forms with the U.S. Copyright Office to receive immunity under the Act. 

If copyright violations are detected on this Website, the copyright holder must send a signed notice of infringement to the institution, identifying the copyrighted material. The copyright holder must provide contact information (address, phone number, and email address) and a statement that the infringing material is being used without consent. Upon receipt of proper notification of copyright infringement, the designated Copyright Agent will take action as outlined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. 

Student Handbook: Computer Resources 

Northeast State network connections and computer resources may not be used to violate copyright laws. The unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted materials, including illegal downloading or sharing of copyrighted music, movies, books, etc., is a serious violation of Northeast State’s   Computer Resources policies  and the U.S. Copyright Laws. Violations are covered under Northeast State Policy   03:05:03 Disciplinary Offences. 

Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws 

Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. 

Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or "statutory" damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For "willful" infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys' fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. 

Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. 

For more information, please see the Web site of the U.S. Copyright Office at   www.copyright.gov, especially their FAQ's at   www.copyright.gov/help/faq.