Definition:
A network architecture in which each computer has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities commonly used for the illegal sharing and transfer of music, videa, and application files.
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HISTORY OF PEER 2 PEER
There are many issues concerning file sharing of copyright materials on computer systems attached to University network. Included below are some anwers to frequently asked questions:
What is legal for downloading? Is it okay to use KaZaa or a similiar program to obtain music?
Answer : It is legal to download works that are in the public domain or for which the person has permission to download. Works that are in the public domain are works that are not copyrighted or for which the copyright has expired. Just because there is no copyright notice, does not mean that the work isn't copyrighted. In fact, it is safe to say that almost every recording and video available on the Internet, is copyrighted. To get permission to download a work not in the public domain, the student would need to get permission from the owner of the copyright or pay the fee being charged by a site that can grant permission to download. Occasionally there might be a statement syaing that it is acceptable to download and reproduce a work without permission. Services exist such as Napster, Apple iTunes, and Musicmatch that provide permission to download a work based on a signed agreement or a service charge.
What is not legal?
Answer : All songs, recordings, movies, books, articles, paintings, photographs, and similar works, that are copyrighted, not in the public domain, and for which the person does not have permission to download.
How do you find people breaking the rules?
Answer : The RIAA, MPAA, or companies representing the entertainment industry contact us with Internet address information, filenames, and times and we are obligated to follow-up on the information and track the student down. If there is an unusually high consumption of bandwidth, the University may investigate and discover an illegal use of information technology resoruces.
What happens to students who get caught?
Answer : The following is the current procedure for handling copyright issues:
On the first offense, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) contacts the student and does the following:
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Explains why the behavior is illegal and against University policy
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Instructs the student to clean the illegal material from their computer system
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Advises the student not to repeat the offense
On the second offense, the student's network connection is disabled and the student is required to take the system to the OIT Service Center to demonstrate that the copyrighted material(s) have been removed.
On the third offense, the network connection is disabled and the incident is reported to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA). SJA may impose sanctions in addition to those imposed by OIT. The student is also required to take the system to the OIT Service Center to again prove the copyrighted material(s) have been removed.
If students are going to use downlaoding tools, are there any that are preferable and do not cloug up the network as much?
Answer : There are no "streamlined" file sharing services available. File sharing simply generates a lot of traffic on the network no matter what new service is used. The ResNet network stays at a high capacity almost all of the time the dorms are occupied. If a student wants to legally use peer-to-peer application, then we advise he/she turn the service off when it is not in use to conserve bandwidth.
The links below list some of the most common peer-to-peer clients and link to instructions on how to limit file sharing. If your particular client is not listed here you are not exempted from the restrictions against distributing copyrighted material. If you do have a client that is not listed here you may contact us at security@utk.edu . Please give us the name of the client, the method by which we might acquire a copy for ourselves and, if possible, instructions on how to disable file sharing. We will then add it to the list below. In addition, we have also created a video that discusses many of these same issues. The video can be viewed at http://oit.utk.edu/dst/archives.html . It is titled "Maximizing your Bandwidth in the Residence Halls".
Please note that if you are distributing copyrighted materials via another method (i.e. ftp, Hotline, etc.) this is also considered a violation of the AUP and as such disciplinary action may be initiated against individuals who engage in such activity.
The instructions on these pages are a guide for what we currently think are feasible workarounds, but ultimate responsibility for your network usage falls to you.
KaZaA
BearShare
Morpheus
WinMX
BitTorrent
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