Facts on Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
(January 2004)

As recent news stories about Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing have indicated, users who allow others to download copyrighted materials from their computers may be sued for violating copyright laws. Peer-to-Peer file-sharing programs (such as KaZaa, Morpheus, Bearshare, Gnutella, etc.) allow users to download and share music and data files.

Things you should know about file-sharing:

• File-sharing programs can turn themselves on without telling you and make the contents of your hard drive visible so that others can get to your data. (If you use a P2P program, you may be sharing files without realizing it.)
• Using Peer-to-Peer clients (like those mentioned above) to distribute copyrighted materials is against the law.
• It is not difficult to find individuals that are sharing files since every computer has a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address that can be traced.
• Potential penalties for copyright violation are BIG (the law allows a maximum 3 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for online copyright violations).
• Many P2P programs install hidden software called "spyware" that tracks and sends information from your computer without your knowledge.

IT's Network Security team has taken a number of steps to reduce the chances that anti-piracy advocates will bring suits against students, faculty, staff, or the university for distributing copyrighted materials illegally. Given reports of vigorous efforts on the part of relevant industries to limit file-sharing, IT anticipates that the campus will continue to handle growing numbers of complaints from the Recording Industry Association of American and other copyright holders about illegal file sharing activities. We anticipate continued success in eliminating offending activities.

Helpful Links:

Information from IT's Help Desk: http://www.fullerton.edu/it/helpdesk/P2PIntro.htm
The Recording Industry Association of America: http://www.riaa.co