Article 1, Section 8, of the United States Constitution states, The Congress shall have Power … To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Tımes to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
Title 17 of the United States Code states that copyright protection exists in any original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression. Works of authorship include literary works, musical works (including any accompanying words), dramatic works (including any accompanying music), pantomimes and choreographic works, pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works, motion pictures and other audiovisual works, sound recordings, and architectural works. With limited exceptions, known as Fair Use (see 17 USC 107 and 108), copyright protection provides exclusive rights to the owner of the copyrighted work.
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 copy, distribute, perform, or display a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.
In addition to being in violation of U.S. law, copyright infringement is also in violation of college policy. Individuals who infringe copyrighted materials on Trinidad State Junior College computers or networks are subject to disciplinary action as specified within the Trinidad State Junior College Student Handbook, Electronic Communication Policy and outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. At a minimum, upon receipt of a copyright infringement notification access to the infringing materials will be blocked until such time as the situation has been resolved as per the Student Conduct process.
In order to comply with federal laws and regulations such as the Higher Education Opportunity Act, Trinidad State Junior College employs technology-based deterrents including: bandwidth monitoring to identify the largest bandwidth users, log correlation techniques to match the reported IP address to a likely user, and vigorous enforcement of infringement notifications.
The Student Services Office also educates the Trojan community regarding copyright laws through web-based materials including the Student Handbook.
Trinidad State Junior College periodically reviews the effectiveness of its plan to combat copyright infringement through discussions with the Information Technology Director, Colorado Community College System and the Office of the Vice President of Student Services. Changes to the plan will be made to address any identified issues.