Copyright and Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Information
A wide variety of music, movies, TV shows, games and other software is available for download through popular Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing networks and protocols, such as KaZaa, Direct Connect and BitTorrent. Most of the shared material is copyrighted. People using P2P file sharing networks often think they can get their favorite songs, movies, software, etc. for free, but end up paying thousands of dollars later in legal fees and penalties after getting sued by copyright holders. Many people don't understand that the copyrighted material downloaded on their computers is available to others.
Watch a video that covers the risks of file-sharing.
Downloading or distributing copyrighted material without authorization of the copyright holder is a violation of:
Copyright owners and their agents use the file sharing networks to identify people illegaly distributing copyrighted material. Copyright protection agents are targeting colleges and universities. UCSD does NOT search the network for unauthorized distribution, but we are required by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to respond when presented with copyright violation notices from legitimate sources.
For more information on copyright, visit one of the following links:
