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Cornell University

Top Three Ways to Comply

1. Do not install P2P filesharing software on your computer

  • By default, P2P applications will search for and share content on your computer with others. P2P applications usually run as soon as you turn on your computer and continue to run in the background. Even if you disable uploading, copyrighted content in a “shared” folder can be seen by others using the same P2P network and many P2P programs may reset preferences to resume uploading.
  • The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and other content owners use the same P2P software that file sharers do! Their aim is to catch file sharers sharing their protected content with others. If you’re running a P2P program, chances are that the RIAA is running the same software. In fact, the person downloading a song from you may be working for the RIAA and may be compiling evidence against you. It has happened to thousands of P2P users, and it can happen to you.

2. Do not use a University network for file sharing

  • Content owners specifically target illegal file sharing on university networks. The RIAA has employed aggressive legal strategies, such as forwarding the University legal documents for alleged infringers and filing infringement lawsuits
  • No fileshare programs can run on the Cornell network. It's illegal to distribute copyrighted content, even if you are using a premium fileshare application that you paid for, or copying music off of a CD you purchased. 

3. Always be sure to secure your wireless router in your residence hall or home

  • If you’ve registered your wireless router using your NetID, any activity that occurs on the router can be tracked back to you. This means that if your roommate is sharing copyrighted works using the wireless connection that you set up in your residence hall, you can be held personally responsible, and be sued by the RIAA.
  • If you use VPN connections from home, your home network becomes visible as part of the Cornell network.

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