Higher Education Opportunity Act

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires all colleges and universities to make a good-faith effort to inform students of the provisions concerning unauthorized distribution or file sharing of copyrighted materials including music, movies, books. Specifically, the provisions require Sul Ross State University to inform you that:

• • • • • Sul Ross State University does not permit the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing.  Participating in any of these illegal activities may subject you to civil and criminal liabilities.
        • Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws.  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 reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at https://copyright.gov.
        • Users of any Sul Ross State University network, owned or leased, are required to adhere to Copyright & Intellectual Property Laws. Non-compliance can result in disciplinary action or loss of network connectivity. This includes unauthorized sharing of music, movies, games and other files over a Peer-to-Peer network. For more information, visit:

        The Sul Ross State University DMCA Policy
        Legal alternatives to illegal downloading