If you have received a communication that says your Internet account was identified as having been used to illegally copy and/or distribute copyrighted material over the Internet, you need to take immediate steps to remove the file from your computer. In addition, MGC recommends that you remove all Peer to Peer (file sharing) programs from your computer. How to Delete File Sharing Programs
What is a Peer to Peer (P2P) Program?
A peer to peer program is software which allows users to swap music, video and other files over the Internet. Most peer-to-peer (P2P) software turns file sharing on by default when the software is installed. This allows other people to access materials on your computer without your knowledge or permission. You may also be giving people access to your personal information without realizing it, and it is extremely easy for other P2P users to obtain this information.
How can using Peer to Peer programs cause problems for me and for Middle Georgia College?
Downloading copyrighted music or movie files without permission is illegal. It is also illegal to share purchased music or movie files with others, whether you are aware that you have done it or not. In addition, traffic created by P2P programs causes serious bandwidth problems on our network.
Middle Georgia College expects all members of the College community to adhere to the provisions of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code, § 101 et seq.). Copyright protection applies to a variety of works including, but not limited to printed materials, sound recordings, video recordings, and visual artworks. Copying, distributing, uploading, and downloading copyrighted materials, including music, videos, and games, for which you do not have the copyright holder's permission is a violation of federal law in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).How can I tell if I have a peer to peer program on my computer?
On a Windows computer go to Start, select Programs and look through the list for names such as Frostwire, Ares, or any program that contains the word "torrent," such as bitTorrent. If you are using Windows 7 click on the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of your screen and select All Programs. If you have a Mac computer, double-click on the hard drive and look under Applications for these names.
These programs are only samples of Peer to Peer programming. New P2P programs are created continually and it is your responsibility to assure that you have either deleted these programs from your computer or disabled file sharing.
Deleting the file sharing program:
I received a communication that says my Internet account was identified as having been used to illegally copy and/or distribute copyrighted material over the Internet. What should I do now? MGC recommends that you remove all file sharing programs from your computer. Click here for detailed instructions on how to remove file sharing programs: Delete File Sharing Programs
How do I delete the infringing files?
If you know the name of the title you are looking for, you can use the "search" function on most computer systems to search for your files by name.How do I disable File Sharing?
If you want to keep the program on your computer, you will need to make adjustments to disable file sharing. Each program is a different so click on the name of the program from the list above for specific instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
I received a communication that says my Internet account was identified as having been used to illegally copy and/or distribute copyrighted material over the Internet. What should I do now? Frequently Asked Questions
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