How can I be identified as sharing files?
- Overview
- Top 3 ways to ensure compliance with the law
- How can I be identified as sharing files?
- File sharing - Frequently-asked questions
- Legal alternatives for online music & media
How can content owners identify me?
Content owners, such as the RIAA, often track distribution of their intellectual property on the Internet using the same P2P software (e.g. KaZaA, Gnutella, BitTorrent, Limewire, mIRC) as people who share files. They actively search for a particular copyrighted work on the Internet and when they find their copyrighted work, they are able to identify the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the file sharer. They may then issue an infringement notice to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) from which the file was being made available. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998, Yale is designated as an ISP and is notified of copyright infringement occurring on the campus network.
How does Yale identify me to forward the infringement notice?
Once the University receives an infringement notice identifying a Yale network user by a Yale IP (Internet Protocol) address, Yale can identify the user. An identified Yale IP address can include any of your network registrations, the static address of a computer in a department at Yale, or an IP address that you are assigned when you use the Yale VPN network.
More details:
Using the Yale Wireless Networks
To use the Yale Wireless network, you have to register the unique hardware address of your computer’s wireless card. Yale Wireless addresses are dynamically assigned. This means that any number of people may use the same address throughout the day. Whenever you are given a roaming IP address and anytime your computer talks to the wireless network, the hardware address of your computer’s wireless card is recorded in the wireless logs. This hardware address can be matched to your NetID using your network registration.
Wired connection in your dorm
To use a wired connection, you register the hardware address of your Ethernet card with the University. When you register, a wired IP addresses is assigned to your NetID for the remainder of the school year (unless you delete the registration).
Someone using your wireless router
If you’ve registered your wireless router using your NetID, any activity that occurs on the router is tracked back to you. This means that if your suitemate is downloading a movie using the wireless connection you set up in your dorm, you are likely to receive a complaint since you are the registered owner of the IP address.
Logging into Yale VPN network
You can access restricted Yale resources (such as Library materials) from off-campus by using the Yale VPN network. When you log onto Yale VPN, your NetID is assigned a Yale IP address and a record is created in the VPN logs. That IP address is assigned to you until you log off.
Next → File sharing frequently-asked questions
