Pirates Against Piracy

As part of Seton Hall University’s efforts to educate the community on the dangers of pirating media, the Pirates against Piracy campaign is a comprehensive website where you can learn why piracy is illegal, as well as the other dangers illegal downloading and file sharing can present to you and your digital community.

We live in a digital age. YouTube and Spotify are now household words, and the face of the music industry has changed tremendously over the past few years. It is now easier than ever to download music off the Internet and share it with friends, family … even people we don’t know. In fact, it is so easy that it seems like everyone is doing it with seemingly little to no consequences.

Unfortunately, this is not the complete truth. Not only is piracy illegal, it is unethical. And it could also cost the University and you personally millions of dollars. Read up on the cases that have gone to court and its easy to see that downloading a few songs is not worth a million-dollar lawsuit.

Illegal file sharing or downloading is a violation of the University Appropriate Use Policy. So know the code and avoid the trouble before you get caught.

Cases

• Jury Dings File Sharer $1.5 Million for 24 Songs
• 25-year-old college student must pay $675,000
• Recording Industry Says LimeWire on Hook for $1 Billion

Discounted Media Services

• Spotify Student
• Apple Music Student
• YouTube Music Student
• Amazon Prime Student

What are the consequences? Will my internet get taken away?
According to the University’s policies, any violator of these or other published guidelines for the appropriate use of Seton Hall University computer facilities will be considered in violation, and responsible to established University procedures. This may include action under the University student conduct processes. Computer access may be limited or terminated pending determination of these violations.

What if I use my own personal computer on campus, does that count?
Even if you use your own personal computer on campus, if you download or share files illegally using the internet services provided by the University, you will be in violation of University policy.

Could I get sued for illegal downloading? Would the University protect me?
Yes, you could be sued for illegal downloading or file sharing. If a student were to be sued for illegal downloading or file sharing, the University would not represent the student in any legal proceedings.

Do I get a warning before action is taken?
If the university becomes aware of the policy violation, you will be contacted by the office of Community Standards. During that meeting you will be informed of the violation and asked to cease all illegal activity. Continued violations will result in further action.

Technology has made digital copying easier than ever. But just because advances in technology make it possible to copy music doesn’t mean it’s legal to do so. Here are tips on how to enjoy the music while respecting rights of others in the digital world. Stick with these, and you’ll be doing right by the people who created the music.

• It’s okay to download and stream music from sites authorized by the owners of the copyrighted music, whether or not such sites charge a fee.
• It’s never okay to download unauthorized music from pirate sites (web or FTP) or peer-to-peer systems, such as BitTorrent.
• It’s never okay to make unauthorized copies of music available to others (that is, uploading music) on peer-to-peer systems.
• It’s okay to copy music onto special Audio CD-R’s, mini-discs, and digital tapes (because royalties have been paid on them) – but not for commercial purposes.