You are viewing an archived version/revision of this policy.
Current Status: Approved
Policy Type: All University
Effective Date: 06/11/2018
Last Updated: 01/10/2022
Applies To: Students, Faculty, Staff, Visitors, Contractors, Vendors
Responsible University Officer: Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Policy Owner: Vice President for University Affairs and Advisor to the President, Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies
Policy Contact: Vice President for University Affairs and Advisor to the President, Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies
St. Cloud State University is dedicated to informing faculty, staff, and students about the importance of adhering to laws related to copyright and intellectual property.
St. Cloud State University follows the policies, procedures and guidance on copyright and intellectual property established by the Minnesota State System and approved by its Board of Trustees.
St. Cloud State University provides notice to students about copyright policies and potential consequences for copyright infringement. St. Cloud State University also provides additional resources and information about fair use, the TEACH Act, and other copyright related material to assist faculty.
The Intellectual Property Coordinator has the responsibility for implementation of this policy and the Minnesota State System policies and procedures on copyright and intellectual property. At St. Cloud State University, the Intellectual Property Coordinator is the Associate Provost for Research or any interim employee fulfilling the duties of that role.
Downloading or distributing copyrighted material, including through peer-to-peer file sharing, without the permission of the copyright owner is against the law. Illegal downloading or distribution of copyrighted materials can result in you being prosecuted in criminal court and/or sued for damages in civil court. Criminal penalties for first-time offenders can be as high as five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. If sued in civil court, you may be responsible for monetary damages, attorneys' fees and civil penalties up to $150,000 per work distributed. Use of St. Cloud State University resources for unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials is forbidden.
St. Cloud State University prohibits illegal copyright infringement through its acceptable use policies as well as student conduct code. Disciplinary action, including loss of use of the University information technology systems up to and including expulsion from the University, could result from violations of this policy.
Other Related Policies: Minnesota State Board Policy 3.27 Copyrights and Procedure 3.27.1 Copyright Clearance
For more information on this topic, please go to Secure Computing (P2P). To see a list of legal alternatives, please visit http://www.educause.edu/legalcontent
Q: Where can a student find information about copyright policies and sanctions?
A: A student can find this information under the general institutional information tab of the student consumer information website. (see supporting URLs). The notice about sanctions is also listed in the guidelines section of this policy.
Q: Where can a faculty member or other employee find information and resources about copyright?
A: The SCSU library has established a robust website about copyright designed with faculty in mind. MinnState also offers resources through its guidelines, terms, and Toolkit webpages (see supporting URLs).
Intellectual Property, copy right, IP, plagarism, fair use
Websites, Related External Documents, Statutes
To make a comment or suggest changes to this policy: