Copyright Infringement

It is against NMSU policy to illegally download copyrighted material, which can lead to an unwanted disciplinary event.

NMSU takes the illegal downloading of copyrighted material seriously, and so does the federal government. In fact, anyone found to have infringed on a copyrighted work through illegal downloading may be liable for statutory damages of up to $30,000 for each infringed work. If willful infringement is proven by the copyright owner, that amount may be increased to up to $150,000 for each occurrence.

Be smart; don’t download copyrighted material without the legal right to do so.

To review NMSU’s Copyright Statement please visit nmsu.edu/copyright. For a quick guide on copy-right informational resources, you may visit the LibGuides Copyright Essentials.

You can also visit the external resources listed below for more information regarding copyright:

Other points to remember about the downloading of copyrighted materials:

  • Pirated software is a security risk – hackers often offer virus-infected downloads to compromise your computer and possibly NMSU data.
  • The software used for pirating copyrighted material may automatically use your computer to distribute that material to others.

If you have any questions regarding NMSU copyright infringement policy, please contact the office of Information and Communication Technologies at help@nmsu.edu or by calling (575) 646-1840.