H.R 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), is a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.  It includes provisions that are designed to reduce the illegal uploading and downloading of copyrighted works through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing.

NTI requires that all copyrighted materials “must be used in conformance with applicable copyright and other laws”. Downloading or distributing copyrighted material, e.g. documents, books, programs, music, movies, videos, text, etc., without permission from the rightful owner violates the United States Copyright Act. Further, the copying of digital copyrighted materials, such as third-party software, without the express written permission of the owner of the proper license is illegal. It is also against NTI policy to use any computer at NTI for personal use.

Infringement of Copyright Laws

Federal law provides severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or exhibition of copyrighted materials. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The penalties may depend upon the amount and the willfulness of the infringing activity and can range from civil liability, criminal liability, money damages, including reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and costs. In a civil lawsuit, the penalty for copyright infringement can range from $1,000 to $30,000 per copyrighted work infringed. This penalty can be increased to $150,000 per infringed work in cases of particularly flagrant infringement. In the most serious and widespread cases of copyright infringement, criminal prosecution is possible.

Investigation of Infringement Complaints

Allegations of copyright infringement by NTI students, that violate the DCMA, will be investigated. The infringement will be reported to the President for appropriate action. If the President determines users violated any copyright laws, the offending user’s access to online services will be terminated or the student will be dismissed. NTI reserves the right to choose how to address or respond to any allegation of copyright infringement received.