American Medical Program Tel Aviv University Of Medicine Copyright Policy
American Medical Program Tel Aviv University requires its students to respect the rights of others including intellectual property rights. The federal Copyright Act ( 17 (U .S.C. § 101, et. seq.) prohibits the unauthorized making and distribution of copyrighted materials. Violations of the Copyright Act, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject students to civil and criminal liabilities. These liabilities include but are not limited to, actions by a copyright owner to recover damages, profits, or statutory damages, as well as reasonable attorney’s fees and costs and federal criminal charges that may result in fines and imprisonment.
American Medical Program Tel Aviv University provides its students with access to computer equipment, email accounts, facsimile equipment, copier machines, and the Internet, exclusively for educational activities. The School of Medicine students are prohibited from using any of the foregoing for the unauthorized copying or distribution of copyrighted materials, including but not limited to unauthorized peer-to-peer filing sharing of copyrighted materials. Any violation of these policies may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the institution.
A summary of the civil and criminal penalties for violation of federal copyright laws follows: Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.
Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at http://www.copyright.gov.