In compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, NC State has developed a plan to combat unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials by users of its network. This plan was effective July 1, 2010.

Illegal file sharing of copyrighted material via peer-to-peer (P2P) applications or other means is a serious offense and can lead to university disciplinary actions as well as criminal and civil penalties. In most cases, it is illegal to upload or download copyrighted material without the owner’s express permission, and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and others are actively tracking and seeking damages against these copyright infringements.

NC State seeks to deter the use of peer-to-peer file transfers for illegal purposes up to and including the implementation of technology-deterrent applications that could monitor traffic content. The university will offer alternatives to illegal downloading and will distribute to the campus community an annual disclosure describing copyright law and campus policies related to copyright violation. The university plans to review its plan annually. For further information, please visit the NC State P2P File Sharing Web site, where the HEOA Compliance Plan, P2P definitions, documentation and a NC State FAQ on file sharing can be found.