Overview
A Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) violation occurs when an individual is caught illegally downloading, uploading, or sharing copyright material. The University considers students who illegally download, upload, or share such material to be in violation of The University of Montana-Missoula Student Conduct Code (Section V.A., Subsection 6). For more information, please visit the University's copyright and peer-to-peer file sharing webpage.
If the University is notified of illegal file-sharing activities, the Information Security office and the UM Housing & Community Standards office will issue a notice to the offending student. This notification will provide details of the violation, such as the name of the offending file. To resolve this problem, students will be given the option to meet with a Client Experience Manager (CEM) at the UM IT service desk.
Meeting with a Client Experience Manager
If the student chooses to have a brief meeting with a Client Experience Manager, he/she must bring the following to the UM IT Service Desk*:
- The notice issued by the Information Security Office
- Any personal electronic device(s) that could be involved in the illegal file-sharing activity
During this meeting, the CEM will provide the student with educational information about the issue of illegal file sharing and how it happens. The CEM will also help the student analyze his/her personal device(s) to discover software that is typically used for illegal file sharing. If the student wishes, the CEM will also show him/her how to remove the violating software from their device. At the conclusion of this meeting, the CEM will sign the letter given to the student issuing a disciplinary warning under the Student Conduct Code for the conduct violation. The student can choose to either:
- Accept: If the student accepts the warning, he/she can bring the signed letter to the UM Housing & Community Standards office to close the case.
- Decline: If the student declines the warning, he/she has the right to an additional meeting with the UM Housing & Community Standards office to discuss the issue.
*The UM IT Service Desk is located on the ground level of the Social Sciences, room 120, and is open Monday through Friday. Please call 406-243-4357 to make an appointment.
Please note that subsequent violations could result in more serious disciplinary action under the student conduct code.