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This document states the expectations, sanctions, and procedures regarding the digital use of copyrighted materials at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder) by campus users. Copyright law protects a work, in whatever medium, unless it has been placed in the public domain. Owners of copyrights hold exclusive right to the reproduction and distribution of their work; therefore, unauthorized use and distribution of copyrighted works is illegal.
Illegal use and distribution of copyrighted works harms the individual as well as CU-Boulder. Even unintentional infringement violates the law. Many academic uses of copyrighted materials that support the academic mission of the campus can be considered authorized uses through the doctrine of fair use.
The University of Colorado at Boulder encourages the fair use of copyrighted materials in support of its academic and research mission, and strives to provide clear guidance to faculty, students, and staff who wish to use copyrighted materials in their teaching and research.
This document has its basis in CU-Boulder’s Use of CU-Boulder's Computing and Network Resources policy, Section C.7.
Compliance with federal copyright law is required of all users at CU-Boulder. Copyright violation occurs unless a faculty member, student, staff, or affiliate: (a) has secured the copyright owner's permission, or (b) qualifies for a legal exception (the most common exception is called "fair use" ). Storing, copying, distributing, downloading, and uploading digital materials may violate the copyright for that information. Digital materials may include, but are not limited to, text materials, audio materials, music, movies, software, video games, and images.
These expectations apply to all digital transmissions of copyrighted materials over the campus network by means such as emailing, instant messaging, faxing, FTP, file sharing applications, and http protocol, and storing copyrighted materials on campus hardware. The expectations apply to all users of CU-Boulder’s computing and network resources.
Sanctions for single or recurring digital copyright violations may include, but are not limited to: suspension or termination of network access and privileges; denial of access to materials from campus websites; notification sent to Judicial Affairs (for students) or the appropriate appointing/sponsoring authority (for all others) and actions that may include but are not limited to probation, suspension, and/or expulsion for students and personnel action for faculty and staff; referral to appropriate authorities for criminal or civil prosecution.
Because the campus is under increasing pressure to respond to notifications of copyright infringement, it has implemented a "three strikes" set of procedures, which can be found at www.colorado.edu/copyright/filesharing/procedures.html. Copyright infringements on campus websites are addressed in the campus’s Web Publishing Policy.