Responsible Use of Copyrighted Materials and Digital Content
Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, and JMU Affiliates,
As members of the university community, we create, use, share, and collaborate with digital content every day. This annual message serves as a reminder of our shared responsibility to respect copyright laws and the intellectual property rights of others.
- Copyright protections apply to many types of content, including:
- Music, movies, and television programs
- Software and video games
- Digital publications, textbooks, and research materials
- Images, photographs, and graphics
- Artificial intelligence-generated content that incorporates copyrighted works
- Other creative and scholarly works
Most members of our community access and share these materials appropriately through licensed services and authorized channels. Unauthorized downloading, copying, distribution, or sharing of copyrighted content may violate federal copyright law and university policy.
Common Situations That May Create Risk
Examples of activities that can result in copyright violations include:
- Sharing copyrighted files through peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies
- Posting copyrighted content online without authorization
- Distributing software, media, textbooks, or materials outside permitted licensing agreements
- Using copyrighted images, videos, or other media in publications, websites, or presentations without appropriate rights or permissions
Often, technologies that enable the risks above have legitimate uses as well, and it is up to all of us to ensure our use of these technologies complies with applicable laws, licensing agreements, and university policy.
Potential Consequences
Individuals who engage in unauthorized distribution or use of copyrighted materials may be subject to:
- University disciplinary action
- Loss of technology or network privileges
- Civil penalties under federal copyright law
- Criminal penalties in cases involving willful infringement
The university may also receive and be required to respond to infringement notices from copyright holders and their representatives.
Protect Yourself and the University
We encourage everyone to:
- Use licensed and authorized sources for software, media, and educational content.
- Verify permissions before sharing copyrighted materials.
- Consult university resources when questions arise about copyright, licensing, or fair use.
- Report concerns or seek guidance before acting if the appropriate use of content is unclear.
Additional Resources
- Learn more about copyright law and your rights to Fair Use: JMU Libraries Copyright Guide
- Discover and create free or openly licensed teaching and learning materials: Open Educational Resources at JMU
- Find images, audio, video, and other media that may be used freely and legally in academic and creative projects: Guide to Free Media for Creative Use
- Access streaming movies, e-books, scholarly articles, music, and other resources available to all members of the JMU community: JMU Libraries Online Resources
- Learn more about this annual message: File Sharing and Copyrighted Materials
Thank you for helping maintain an ethical and lawful digital learning and working environment.
Michael Swartley, Interim AVP/CIO, Information Technology
Bethany Nowviskie, Dean of Libraries & Chief Academic Technology Officer
