MATC Matters

Copyright Notice

In light of the recent news coverage concerning industry efforts to enforce copyrights and to locate potential infringers at colleges and universities, MATC strongly encourages all students, faculty and staff to review MATC’s Network Acceptable Use Guidelines at the links listed at the end of this letter.

Unauthorized uploading, downloading and storage of copyrighted works, such as photographs, music and movies, and peer-to-peer file sharing, is often illegal and a violation of MATC’s Acceptable Use Guidelines.

If MATC is given cause to believe that a student, faculty or staff network user has used the MATC network to violate the copyrights of others, it will take action. MATC’s Acceptable Use Guidelines authorize MATC to revoke network privileges and take disciplinary action against those who misuse the MATC network.

In addition to any actions MATC may take, potential infringers may be subject to legal action for violations of federal law. The U.S. Copyright Act provides for statutory damages not less than $750 and up to $30,000 per copyrighted work, all of which can be substantially increased if the infringement was willful. Infringers can also face federal criminal charges.

If you have any questions, please contact Herb Nelson, MATC Copyright Agent, at 608/246-6789.

Faculty/Staff
Staff Acceptable Use Guidelines

Students
Student Acceptable Use Guidelines