Selections from UNC's official Copyright and Network Usage policy

How could I get caught if I violate copyright law or the Acceptable Use Policy?

• UNC system administrators do not routinely police our network for illegal activity, but they must respond to formal legal complaints they receive. Also, if your computer begins to consume excessive network resources, ITS will investigate your network activities in order to keep the network operating smoothly.
• Organizations like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) frequently police file-sharing programs for copyrighted material belonging to the artists they represent.
• If you establish a business online, it's a likely bet that your competitors will be the first to notify UNC of your illegal activity.
• Some students believe their activity on the Internet is largely anonymous or untraceable, but this is untrue. In fact, almost all your activity on the Internet is logged on many of the computer systems you use, and while these logs usually are not inspected, they certainly can be used to confirm or implicate you in illegal activity.

How often do students get caught or prosecuted?

• Many students are under the impression that they would never be prosecuted or sent to the Honor Court simply for sharing MP3s on the network. This is not the case.
• As an example, in a one-month period at the end of the fall 2001 semester, approximately ten students were investigated for copyright infringement. While the number of students may seem very low, the sanctions for these violations are serious.

If you are discovered breaking copyright law, the consequences could include honor court, suspension of all network access, or other penalties.