Copyright Infringement and Unauthorized File Sharing

Georgia Piedmont Technical College expects students, employees, and all users of college technology resources to comply with federal copyright law and all applicable college and Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) policies.

Unauthorized copying, downloading, uploading, sharing, or distribution of copyrighted materials is prohibited. This includes unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing through college networks, computers, wireless systems, email, cloud-based resources, or other technology systems.

Federal Copyright Law

Under Section 106 of the Copyright Act, Title 17 of the United States Code, copyright owners have exclusive rights related to the reproduction and distribution of copyrighted works.

Any person who copies, downloads, uploads, shares, or distributes copyrighted material without permission or legal authority may be infringing upon those rights.

Violations of federal copyright law may result in significant civil and criminal penalties.

Under 17 U.S.C. § 504, individuals found liable for copyright infringement may be required to pay:

• Actual damages and profits, or
• Statutory damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per work infringed

In cases of willful infringement, statutory damages may increase up to $150,000 per work infringed.

Under 17 U.S.C. § 505, courts may also award court costs and attorney’s fees.

Criminal penalties may apply under 17 U.S.C. § 506 and 18 U.S.C. § 2319, including fines and imprisonment for willful copyright infringement.

College and TCSG Policies

The Technical College System of Georgia policy prohibits the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials through TCSG-owned systems or networks or those of its affiliated technical colleges.

Students who violate copyright law or college technology policies may be subject to disciplinary action under applicable student conduct policies.

Employees may be subject to corrective or disciplinary action under applicable college and TCSG policies.

The college may also limit, suspend, or terminate access to technology resources when necessary to address misuse or protect institutional systems.