Disabling P2P File Sharing
Many students are unaware that their computers are sharing copyrighted files. Because of the default settings of most peer-to-peer file sharing software, copyrighted audio and video files on your computer can be made available to other users on the peer-to-peer network without your knowledge or consent.
Smith’s Policy on the Acceptable Use of Computer Resources prohibits downloading, making available for download to others, or using copyrighted audio, video, images, text, or software without permission of the copyright owner. Any copyright violation notices that Smith receives are treated seriously and processed following the procedures outlined in the College’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy. For a first violation of the policy, the student is notified and asked to remove the relevant material and/or software. A repeat violation results in immediate removal of the student’s computer access privileges and referral of the matter to the College Judicial Board for adjudication.
If you are using or have ever installed a file-sharing application on your computer, we strongly recommend that you remove it even if you never use it.
To remove an installed application on a Windows computer:
- Go to Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
- Double-click on Add or Remove Programs.
- Select the application and click on the Remove button.
To remove an installed application on a Mac:
- Open the Applications folder.
- Drag the application to the Trash or ctrl-click on the application icon and select Move to Trash.
If you choose not to remove the application, you must ensure that your computer does not share copyrighted materials with others unless you have explicit permission from the copyright owner. The following Northern Illinois University website provides instructions for disabling file-sharing on many popular peer-to-peer programs: