Copyright Infringement
The UW-Madison is a strong proponent of copyright law and other protections for intellectual property rights. We depend on such laws to protect the fruits of our research and teaching activities. UW-Madison has been actively promoting awareness about copyrights for more than eight years, yet illegal file sharing is still an issue on this campus and on others across the country. In 2007, 44 UW-Madison students were accused by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) of illegally downloading copyrighted music. That figure is expected to grow.
Protect Yourself: Understand File Sharing
In general, file sharing is the practice of making files available for other individuals to download. The most common and controversial method of file sharing is the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) software. For answers to commonly asked questions about peer-to-peer software, see Understanding File Sharing
RIAA and UW-Madison
Learn more about UW-Madison’s recent interactions with RIAA. View a video warning students about illegal file sharing: QuickTime w/captions or Windows Media.
Legal Download Services
Resources on Copyright Usage