The University takes copyright protection very seriously, and is obligated to comply with federal laws governing copyright, namely the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA). Many scholars and artists rely on these regulations to protect their intellectual property.
Peer-to-peer file sharing applications are commonly used to share copyrighted material such as music, movies, software, and games. If you share copyrighted material without permission, you are breaking the law and could be subject to legal consequences as well as sanctions under UC Berkeley's information security policies and Campus Code of Student Conduct.
While Student Technology Services does not monitor the content of students' uploads and downloads, the entertainment industry actively looks for users who engage in the unlawful sharing of copyrighted material.
We want you to have an enjoyable and worry-free experience on the Internet. We're on your side! Please use legal alternatives which do not violate copyright laws. There are many services to choose from, including Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, Amazon, or Pandora.
Go to our Copyright FAQ for more information about our policy, file sharing alternatives, and why you should always get your copyrighted media the legal way.
Enforcement Procedures
Please review Berkeley's Information Security and Policy site for detailed information about campus procedures for handling unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials.