Thomas W. Cole Library's Home on LibGuides: Home

Spring 2024 Semester Hours

Monday - Thursday: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Friday: 8:00 am -5:00 pm

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Circulation Desk

903-927-3272

Mrs. Elizabeth Bradshaw

Director of Library Services

903-927-3275

ebradshaw@wileyc.edu

Penalties for Copyright Infringement

Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the filesharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at (www.copyright.gov).

Academic Integrity has three main principles:

• When you say you did the work, you actually did the work
• When you rely on someone else’s work, you cite their work. When you use their words, you quote them openly and accurately, and you cite them, too.
• When you present research materials, you present them fairly and truthfully. That’s true whether the research involves data, documents, or the writings of other scholars (Lipson, 2004)

In the Wiley College Handbook, activities that go against academic integrity is considered academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty is discussed within the Student Handbook under Section X, Student Code of Conduct, Sub-Section 4.02. The text reads:

Academic Dishonesty - Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form. Examinations and assignments are employed to encourage learning and judge its quality. To evaluate this with justice and fairness, it is necessary that they be executed with complete honesty. Persons, who are guilty of cheating or plagiarism, as defined below, will be subject to probation, suspension, or expulsion.

1. Cheating.   Dishonesty of any kind with respect to examination, course assignments, alterations of records, or illegal possession of examinations shall be considered cheating. It is the responsibility of the student not only to abstain from cheating, but in addition, to avoid the appearance of cheating and to guard against making it possible for others to cheat. Any student who helps another student to cheat will be considered as guilty of cheating as the student he/she assists. The student should do everything possible to induce respect for the examining process and for honesty in the performance of assigned tasks in or out of class.
2. Plagiarism.   Honesty requires that any ideas or materials taken from another for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged. Offering the work of someone else as one’s own is plagiarism. The language or ideas thus taken from another may range from isolated formulas, sentences, or paragraphs, to entire articles copied from books, periodicals, speeches, or the writings of other students. The offering of materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgement also is considered plagiarism. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas or materials that he takes from another is guilty of plagiarism.

Potential judicial sanctions for violation of the Student Code of Conduct are: admonishment, community service, fines, probation, loss of privileges, pre-hearing suspension, research assignments, restitution, seminar/workshop participation, suspension, and/or expulsion.

As you can see, academic integrity is very important. Violating one’s academic integrity will affect your academic and professional career at and beyond Wiley College.

References

Lipson, C. (2004). Doing honest work in college: How to   prepare citations, avoid plagiarism, and achieve   real academic success. Chicago, IL: University of   Chicago Press