Page 36 - Raritan Valley Community College 2018-2019 Student Handbook

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Internet Code of Conduct
Students are held to a Code of Conduct which governs use of technology at RVCC. Use of technology includes physical technology as well as wireless resources and the various computer networks which are used by the college. Details of the Internet Code of Conduct can be found on the College’s website.
College Provider Code
As an Internet provider and an institution of higher education, RVCC is committed to the principles of personal privacy and the free and open discussion of ideas. RVCC, therefore, pledges that it
will follow industry best practices to ensure the confidentiality of user files and individual usage information.
College Computer Laboratory Users’ Agreement
Computer use is restricted to currently enrolled RVCC students. Priority is for academic use in
the following order: 1. computer course assignments; 2. other academic assignments; 3. general research. Users must relinquish their computers to students needing them for a higher priority use. All users of RVCC’s computers acknowledge a full awareness of an agreement to RVCC Computer Users’ Regulations. Violations of these, including tampering with the equipment or the software, may result in campus or civil prosecution. For further information or to report a violation, contact Technology Services at ext. 7887.
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, visit the U.S. Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov, especially their FAQ’s at www.copyright.gov/help/faq.