North Hall Library

 

Copyright

Copyright Compliant Entertainment Resources

Questions about Copyright Law and Proceedures

Inquiries about Mansfield University Copyright Compliance

Mansfield University's Copyright Policy

Copyright Policy Information

Mansfield University complies with the provisions of the DMCA.

Mansfield University's Copyright Infringment Policy

The University fully supports the Copyright Laws of the United States.

Copyright Infringement may subject a student to civil and criminal penalties.  Any student found liable for copyright infringement in a court of law for a violation that has been facilitated by their use of University resources can be suspended from the University.

For specific details on the Copyright Law, please see the U.S. Copyright Office web site.

Last Updated -  April 15, 2011

Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws

Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.

Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or "statutory" damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For "willful" infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys' fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505.

Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.

For more information, please see the Web site of the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov, especially their FAQs.

 

Reviewed 6/5/2019