The University of Kansas is taking a get-tough approach to copyright.
Violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is against the law. If you are caught downloading copyrighted material, you will lose your ResNet privileges forever. No second notices, no excuses, no refunds. One violation and your ResNet internet access is gone for as long as you reside on campus.
So don’t use those full-text library databases. Those articles are copyrighted. Sure, they’re licensed for the campus, but according to this policy, you will lose your network privileges forever. No excuses! Even though it’s not a violation of the law.
According to Ars Technica, quoting the Lawrence Journal-World, the new policy is a result of receiving increasing numbers of takedown notices from the RIAA. It’s kind of hard to educate students about copyright when the institution’s own tech folks get it so wrong. And it’s kind of hard to take violations seriously when zero tolerance means zero respect for sharing legally and zero understanding of fair use.
Great journalism, Barbara! KU appears to have changed that policy:
“Violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is against the law. If the University of Kansas receives notice of a copyright violation (illegal downloading or uploading copyrighted material including music, movies, games, software, etc.) tied to the IP address registered in your name, you will receive an email and written notice that your access to the ResNet Network has been temporarily suspended for 5 business days…”
http://www.resnet.ku.edu/newpolicy.jsp