Copyright Law
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, including whether they want compensation for it and how it will be distributed. The development of digital technologies have introduced new difficulties in enforcing copyright, but do not waive the rights of a copyright holder. Deliberately circumventing legitimate copyright protections or illegally accessing, copying, or distributing copyrighted material is a criminal act and may carry significant monetary and/or criminal sanctions. Use of state owned property to do so may incur additional penalties. Illegal file-sharing and other copyright infringements violate Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations and Federal copyright law. These laws apply to all forms of information, including music, videos, written works and software.
SF State recognizes the value of legitimate file sharing, and therefore supports the legal sharing of materials when copyrights are not violated. The "fair use" provision of the copyright law allows for limited reproduction and distribution of published works without permission for such purposes as criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. It is the responsibility of users who are downloading, uploading and accessing files to make certain they have the necessary permission of the copyright holder.
Finding information on a copyright holder's original intention is often difficult. Creative Commons provides a search tool which clearly identifies the author's rights (in many cases the works are free to use). Additionally, Copyright.com is a clearinghouse for contacting copyright holders.
Infringements of copyright laws include, but are not limited to, making unauthorized copies of any copyrighted material (including software, text, images, audio, and video), and displaying or distributing copyrighted materials over computer networks without the author's permission except as provided in limited form by copyright fair use restrictions. The unauthorized sharing of peer-to-peer file copyrighted works, including music, pictures, and movies, is a violation of the SFSU Acceptable Use Policy and is illegal under current Copyright Law. It may carry significant monetary and/or criminal sanctions.
