File Sharing - Know the Rules

So you think that downloading free music and movies from the Internet is a great idea? You might want to think twice about that. Illegally downloading music, movies and other copyrighted material via file-sharing programs such as KaZaA, LimeWire or BearShare, can cost you your network access and thousands of dollars in legal settlement costs. You may even be subject to disciplinary action by the university and/or civil or criminal penalties.

Follow ECU's computing-use policies (www.ecu.edu/itcs/policies), copyright policies (www.ecu.edu/itcs/copyright.cfm) and federal copyright laws (www.copyright.gov).

Be in the know:

How do file-sharing programs work?

Most file-sharing programs are "peer-to-peer" programs. This means that rather than having one central repository for all the files available for download, the program keeps track of what files all of its users have. When you download a file using a peer-to-peer program, you're not getting that file from a central server - you're getting it from someone like you who also has that program installed on their computer. Everyone using the program shares their files with everyone else; thus the term "file-sharing".

The settings in your file-sharing program determine which files you are sharing with others. If the settings are configured incorrectly, you could end up sharing your entire hard drive -- a big security risk for you.

How can I tell if my computer is distributing files?

Most file-sharing programs have a configuration panel where you can designate how many people can get files from you at once (your upload capacity) and which directories are shared. If your upload capacity is greater than 0, and if any directories are shared, then other people can download files from your computer. If you aren't sure where to find these preferences, check the Help feature or the online user manual for the program you are using.

Note: Some programs use 0 to mean unlimited instead of meaning 0. It will often appear like this [0: unlimited] next to the settings. Make sure that if you have set something to 0 it means 0 and not unlimited.

How do I stop my computer from distributing files?

The exact configuration depends on which file-sharing program you are using. Consult the Help feature or the online user manual for your program. To be absolutely sure that you're not distributing files, you can always uninstall your file-sharing program.

Note: It is not possible to turn off "sharing" in a bittorrent program. While you are downloading anything in a bittorrent program (e.g. uTorrent, Bitcomet, Azureus, etc.) the item you are downloading is being shared with other computers. Your computer continues to share those files as long as you are online, even after you have finished downloading them.

Check out these legal sites:

What the Law Says and What It Means - RIAA [html]

Beware of Fee-Based Download Services - CDT  [html]

7 Things You Should Know about P2P - EDUCAUSE  [pdf]