Internet and Music Policy

Students and staff may have seen media reports of an increased vigilance on the part of the music industry to seek to control music piracy in universities. Students in the US have been sued, as have some universities, for copyright infringement arising from music piracy. Universities in the UK and Australia are also being targeted by record companies.

The University provides students and staff with access to computer systems and facilities for academic and administrative purposes. Individuals who are found to be using the University's systems to engage in conduct which infringes copyright – including uploading and downloading files without the permission of the owner of copyright - are exposing themselves and the University to legal action, and will be subject to disciplinary action.

Students are also reminded that under the University's Rules Relating to Student Use of Computing and Electronic Communications Facilities, copyright infringement by students will be treated as student misconduct.

The web is NOT a copyright-free zone. DO NOT assume that you are entitled to download everything you can access on the web. Some material may be on the web without the copyright owner's permission.

DO NOT assume that because you can locate a music file through sites such as Napster, Kazaa, Limewire, Grokster or Gnutella that you can download, copy or transfer it, even for personal use.

DO NOT, without the permission of the owner of copyright:

• post music or other files to University websites
• transfer music or other files to friends and family via University email
• burn music or other files to CD’s

DO NOT use University equipment or the computer networks to download, redistribute or copy unauthorised files.

As you may be aware, there are some websites which offer – with the copyright owner's permission - MP3 files or other music formats for free download. The University's computers and network should NOT be used for this purpose. If you want to download or transfer music for any non-academic purpose, this should be done privately, and not on a University-owned computer or through the University's computer network.


Crystal Condous
Registrar and Deputy Principal