HEOA Annual Report: Peer-to-Peer Illegal File Sharing Compliance Program, 2017-2018 Academic Year
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Key Accomplishments
- Continuing Actions
- Recommendations
- Policies and Regulations
- References
- Contacts
- HEOA Committee Members
1. Executive Summary
The HEOA Committee promotes compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) through actions and activities to address illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and copyright infringement. These efforts include distribution of annual disclosures to students and employees about institutional policies and consequences for copyright infringement, implementing plans and developing educational materials to raise the university community’s awareness of copyright issues, prompt response to Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notifications, and maintenance of a centralized web page on Peer to Peer (P2P) File Sharing information.
2. Key Accomplishments
NC State accomplished the following during the 2017-2018 academic year:
Community Education
OIT reviewed and revised the content of its educational campaign for the 2016-2017 academic year. The educational campaign included the following elements:
- Presentations during orientation sessions for incoming students and their parents .
- IT Services for Students links for students on IT Use Regulations, Copyright Infringement, and illegal P2P file sharing.
- Frequently Asked Questions concerning P2P and illegal file sharing and copyright infringement information.
- OIT News article where University warns students and employees of illegal peer-to-peer file sharing
- University Communication’s Copyright page posting of the Provost’s Letter to Students (pdf) on illegal peer-to-peer file sharing
Annual Disclosure
The university disclosed its position on illegal peer-to-peer file sharing by distributing three documents:
- Provost’s Illegal peer-to-peer file sharing notice (pdf) to students via email on September 15, 2017.
- Chancellor’s Illegal Peer-to-Peer File Sharing: Annual Notice (pdf) to the NC State community on September 15, 2017.
- OIT’s web page on illegal peer-to-peer file sharing (continuously available on the web).
These notices address the risks and potential consequences of illegal file sharing, including the risks involved for students, faculty, and staff and the penalties for engaging in illegal file sharing. NC State intentionally distributed these documents later in the Fall after students had received the influx of information associated with the start of the academic year.
Technology-Based Deterrents
OIT continued to respond vigorously to incoming DMCA notifications. OIT continued to monitor the number of DMCA notifications received. The number of DMCA notifications received decreased dramatically as a result of the implementation of wireless network address translation (NAT).
Offering Alternatives
The Office of Information Technology made available on its website a list of EDUCAUSE’s Legal Sources of Online Content.
3. Continuing Actions
During the 2018-2019 academic year, NC State will continue to refine its workflow for reviewing and processing DMCA notifications that stem from activity on the campus network. Further, NC State will continue to enhance training for students, faculty, and staff to educate them about the concept of illegal peer-to-peer file sharing and its consequences, in order to reduce the rate of potential infringements.
4. Recommendations
NC State should continue to improve targeted awareness campaigns concerning DMCA violations by continuously analyzing collected data on trends. NC State should continue to investigate technologies that improve identification of potential infringements and enhance compliance.
5. Policies and Regulations
NC State POL 08.00.01 – Computer Use Policy
NC State POL 11.35.01 – Code of Student Conduct
NC State REG 01.25.02 – Copyright Infringement – Policy Statement
NC State REG 01.25.03 – Copyright Regulation
NC State REG 08.00.02 – Computer Use Regulation
6. References
NC State OIT FAQ for Peer-to-Peer Transfers and Copyright Protection
NC State OIT Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing
NC State OIT Safe Computing at NC State
NC State OIT Security and Compliance home page
NC State Copyright Information including Provost’s Letter to Students on Illegal P2P File Sharing
EDUCAUSE Higher Education Opportunity Act and P2P website
EDUCAUSE 7 Things You Should Know about P2P (pdf)
U.S. Copyright Office Law and Regulations
U.S. Copyright Office Summary of the DMCA (pdf)
U.S. Department of Education Higher Education Opportunity Act – 2008
7. Contacts
For matters concerning copyright law:
Shawn Troxler, Associate General Counsel – Office of General Counsel
For DMCA copyright issues:
Damon Armour, Director, Security & Compliance, University DMCA Copyright Agent – Office of Information Technology
8. HEOA Committee Members
Dr. Marc Hoit, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and CIO – Office of Information Technology
Mardecia Bell, Chief Information Security Officer – Office of Information Technology
Greg Sparks, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Communication Technologies – Office of Information Technology
Susan West, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Technology Support Services – Office of Information Technology
Dr. Leslie Dare, Director, DASA Technology Services – Division of Academic and Student Affairs
Jessica White, Associate Director, Office of Student Conduct – Division of Academic and Student Affairs
Damon Armour, Director, Security & Compliance, University DMCA Copyright Agent – Office of Information Technology
Sarah Noell, Assistant Director, Outreach, Communications & Consulting – Office of Information Technology
Shawn Troxler, Associate General Counsel – Office of General Counsel
Dan O’Brien, Senior Employee Relations Strategic Partner – HR Employee Relations