Sanctions for Copyright Violations
Using peer-to-peer software to share or distribute copyrighted material is illegal.
Violating Federal Copyright Law
The penalties for violation of copyright law can run from University of Louisville sanctions to criminal and civil prosecution. You are not protected from financial penalties just because you did not pay for the distributed or downloaded material. Fines for Federal copyright infringement range from $750.00 per song to $150,000 in damages for each willful act. The University of Louisville cannot protect you from a copyright compliant. By law, the University of Louisville may have to disclose information about you if we receive a legal request pursuant to legal action by the complainant. Ignorance is not a defense in breaking copyright law.
Education and awareness are our number one deterrents in ensuring you do not violate copyright laws. Unfortunately, when violations occur and we are notified, sanctions must be enforced.
