Notice of Written Plan for Copyright Provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

Michigan State University
25 June 2009

Basis

The University’s Procedures for Addressing Instances of Possible Copyright Infringement on Michigan State University’s (MSU) Computing Resources and Network (http://www.msu.edu/policy/dmca.html) forbid the unlawful copying or distribution of copyrighted works in any form.

This document is the “written plan” required of the University under the copyright-related regulations associated with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

A. Annual disclosure

Each year, close to the beginning of Fall Semester, a notice is sent by e-mail to every individual having a MSU network ID to inform them that illegal distribution of copyrighted material is prohibited and may subject them to criminal or civil liability. The notice provides a link to MSU’s Procedures for Addressing Instances of Possible Copyright Infringement on Michigan State University’s (MSU) Computing Resources and Network (MSU’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) procedures).

B. Combating unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material

The University addresses unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material through a variety of educational, technical, and disciplinary means. These include:

Informs all network users and (more frequently) students of their obligations to follow copyright laws, of MSU policies and practices regarding copyright infringement; enhanced communications now a part of our SecureIT safe computing campaign;
Presentations, posters, press articles, hand-outs, and other informational and educational mechanisms explaining the difference between appropriate and inappropriate use of copyrighted materials;
Library, online and other resources to assist students, faculty and staff with copyright questions and copyright clearances;
Full cooperation with copyright owners or their agents to investigate and take appropriate actions on their complaints of alleged infringement of their copyrights;
DMCA policy and a vigorous program for accepting and promptly responding to DMCA notices
Standardized and consistent handling of procedural and disciplinary response to alleged violations of the University’s copyright policies. Student network access may be suspended on first offense and is suspended for second offenses; second offense also involves mandatory in-person meeting of student with an administrator; third offense results in automatic referral to student judiciary system and may result in suspension from school; employees referred into appropriate employee disciplinary process
Blocks unsolicited inbound Internet connections to all DHCP network addresses (i.e., to computers not officially set up as servers)
Asymmetric bandwidth availability at residence hall ports slows uploading (10 Mbps inbound; 256 Kbps outbound)

C. Alternatives to illegal downloading

MSU has contracted to offer legal alternatives for music, movie and video downloading when these have been available at no cost to the University. Presently we are not aware of any such alternatives, but we will periodically scan the market for such options and post them on a website that is easily accessible by the MSU community.

D. Periodic review