Modesto Junior College students are prohibited from using the Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) information network to illegally download or share music, video and all other copyrighted intellectual property. Modesto Junior College supports the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Digital Millennium Copyright Act, including efforts to eliminate the illegal distribution of copyrighted material. Under the law, college administrators may be obligated to provide copyright holders with information about users of the YCCD information network who have violated the law.

Be aware that illegal forms of downloading and file sharing as well as the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials are violations of the law and may subject you to academic sanctions from the college as well as criminal and civil penalties, including a lawsuit against you by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Learn more at www.campusdownloading.com. The illegal downloading of music or other copyrighted intellectual property is a form of theft and is prohibited under the MJC Code of Conduct. In addition to being illegal, file sharing drains the YCCD network's bandwidth, which slows computer connections for students and employees who are using the network for legitimate academic purposes and ultimately costs the college money.

There are plenty of easy, affordable ways to get music online legally. To protect their intellectual property, companies have licensed hundreds of digital partners that offer a range of legal downloading options, including download and subscription services, legitimate peer-to-peer services, video-on-demand, podcasts and CD kiosks. For a list of sources that offer legal downloading sites, access www.riaa.com.