The University has specific legal obligations under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to protect copyright holders and to respond quickly to complaints of copyright violation. This obligation to protect copyright must be implemented with due regard for privacy rights of technology users that have been created by Regents Policy.
The University of Alaska Southeast has implemented specific strategies to address the desire to respond appropriately to DMCA notices while creating a proactive and positive user experience.
When UAS receives a formal DMCA copyright complaint, IT employees follow a formal process for investigating and responding to the complaint. In some cases, this investigation will result in a computer being temporarily blocked from accessing the network.
Since the loss of network access can significantly impact a student’s ability to complete courses, UAS takes a number of steps to mitigate this while still complying with the law.
A machine that is blocked is redirected to a special website. This website will direct the student to contact IT Services. In addition, steps are taken to ensure that students can still access critical UAS services, even while they are blocked from accessing the Internet.