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This page outlines SCSU's plan to comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA).
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) includes provisions to reduce the illegal uploading and downloading of copyrighted works through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. Specifically, HEOA requires institutions to:
- make an annual disclosure that informs students that the illegal distribution of copyrighted materials may subject them to criminal and civil penalties and describes the steps that institutions will take to detect and punish illegal distribution of copyrighted materials;
- certify to the Secretary of Education that they have developed plans to "effectively combat" the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material including "the use of one or more technology-based deterrents";
- offer alternatives to illegal file sharing to the extent practical;
- identify procedures for periodically reviewing the effectiveness of the plans to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials.
Annual Disclosure
Southern uses a wide variety of methods to inform students about copyright laws:
- The Connecticut State University System's copyright website provides information and guidelines of copyright laws and fair use to the campus community.
- All students are required to adhere to the practices stated in Student Use of University Computer Systems and Networks Policy. All residential students must also accept the terms stated in ResNet Usage Policy. Both policies include a section on copyright compliance. Both policies are included in Student Handbook and posted on University's website.
- Each year, the Office of Student Affairs sends out a memo to all students on copyright laws and campus policies related to violating copyright laws. The memo is also posted on University's website.
Combat Plan
Southern uses several technology-based deterrents to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials:
- Southern utilizes Traffic/Packet Shaping (Bluecoat PacketShaper PS1000) that allows the campus to ensure smooth flow of content to and from the Internet with the ability to prioritize traffic based on need or policy. Traffic-shaping technology also allows for Dynamic Partitioning. Dynamic Partitioning gives the network administrator the ability to determine large bandwidth users and abusers. When a high-bandwidth consumption is observed, the user is contacted to ensure that the purpose of usage is legit.
- Southern currently blocks all known P2P traffic.
- Southern's policies and procedures concerning the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and our response to infringement claims are published on University's web site. If the University receives a complaint that a user is redistributing copyrighted material that user's Internet connection will be blocked until the complaint is resolved. If the University receives multiple complaints about a single user their Internet access will be permanently disconnected and they will be referred to the University disciplinary system for appropriate action.
Alternative Online Sources for Copyrighted Materials
There are many legal sources for copyrighted material such as music and movies. They have a wide range of business models; some are free and some charge a nominal fee. The Motion Picture Association of America maintains an up-to-date and comprehensive compendia of legal sources. Cornell University also maintains a list of legal sources for online music and videos. In addition, the following licensed resources are available to the campus community at Buley Library:
- Oxford Music Online
- JSTOR Music Collection
- Grove Music Online
- Naxos Music Library
Reviewing Effectiveness
Beginning in 2011-12 and periodically thereafter, we will survey community members to assess the extent to which our anti-piracy messages are reaching them. We will analyze the impact of our technical efforts to combat illegal file sharing, and other aspects of our plans to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials.
Resources
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