Combating Illegal File Sharing

Lewis-Clark

State

College

(updated Fall 2010)

I.                   In compliance with the Higher
Education
Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, Lewis-Clark State College hereby articulates its plan to combat illegal file sharing via its technological infrastructure.

II.                In 2005, Lewis-Clark State College implemented “Bluecoat Packet Shaper” to permit the college’s IT personnel to manage specific protocols utilized in peer-to-peer file sharing. 

III.             IT personnel receive alerts from “Bluecoat Packet Shaper” that indicate which college computers are attempting access to peer-to-peer networks.  The bandwidth has been limited to 1kb of usage for the peer-to-peer networks.  This deterrent virtually makes it impossible to utilize the peer-to-peer networks and has resulted in users contacting IT.

IV.             When contact by an end-user has been made regarding the limited capacity of peer-to-peer file sharing networks, IT personnel advises the individuals of the college, state, and federal laws associated with illegal file sharing.

V.                Students are apprised of the college’s polices concerning illegal file sharing (and other inappropriate uses of technology) during a required new student orientation program.  The policies are also published in the annual Student Handbook (http://www.lcsc.edu/osl/Current%20Std%20Hdbk%20Conduct%20Code.pdf) and are posted on the college’s web site.

VI.             “Bluecoat Packet Shaper” permits specific usage on legal alternatives to peer-to-peer file sharing.  The legal alternative provided to Lewis-Clark State College technology user is “I-tunes” and “Amazon.”  This information is shared routinely on student news boards via the student e-mail system and in some college classrooms.

VII.          Statements about criminal and civil liabilities, both state and federal, associated with illegal file sharing are communicated to students in the annual Student Handbook, during in-class presentations by IT personnel, during phone and e-mail consultations with IT personnel, and during the new student orientation program.

VIII.       This plan and its associated policies are reviewed annually by the Dean of
Student Services
and the Associate Director of Network and Digital Security.

IX.             Cases involving illegal file sharing are subject to disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.