We are writing today to ask you to protect yourself and your College from charges of copyright infringement. When you register for network access each semester, you agree not to use peer-to-peer (P2P) software to share copyrighted material (music, TV programs, movies, etc) that you have not acquired permission to share. The College's Consequences of Copyright Violation Policy, developed in 2004/5, makes this clear, and the College's Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology sets this prohibition in its larger context of respect for and consideration of others.

We receive a number of complaints annually from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and other associations representing copyright holders. The RIAA has recently raised the stakes by sending more take down notices with a new letter that threatens to sue you for the alleged infringement and offers you an option to settle out of court by paying a fee. The letter (see example) asks you to log into a website within 20 days and pay a fine. See www.p2plawsuits.com to read the RIAA's new FAQ.

If the RIAA should send the College a letter threatening to sue you along with a settlement offer, we will contact you via email and we will attach the RIAA's letter and settlement offer. See a sample notification. You will perhaps want to consult with your family or legal adviser about how to respond to the threatened lawsuit. If the College is served with a subpoena to reveal your name as a suspected infringer, we must supply it to the complainant after determining that the subpoena is lawful. You will then have to deal with RIAA lawyers, fines, etc.

The College does not scan the network for illegal traffic in copyrighted materials, but the College cannot protect you from the legal recourse that copyright owners, who do scan the network, have. Here is a simple rule do not download and serve music, TV shows, or movies that you have not acquired permission to share. Although P2P programs allow you to easily obtain copyrighted song and video materials, when you download the P2P software, it will typically then use your computer and the campus network to serve these materials without informing you. Even if serving these materials is not your intention, your doing so places both you and the College at risk.

For more information see our website. Thanks for your attention in this matter. Please be in touch with us if you have questions.

Bob Kieft College Information Resources rkieft (at) haverford (dot) edu

Steve Watter Dean's Office swatter (at) haverford (dot) edu