The price of attending a higher education institution increases substantially every year. The cost of tuition, housing, food and other necessities associated with attending a university or college has become a burden on the students of today. Due to these skyrocketing expenses, students have discovered various ways to save money while pursuing their education. However, some of the most popular methods utilized by students are against the law. Of these acts is piracy, which is the illegal downloading, copying, distribution or use of copyrighted materials.
Textbook Piracy
The crime of piracy is committed by college students at staggering rates. And according to recent statistics, the commission of this crime is not often carried out by this demographic to pirate insignificant materials such as music and movies. Students are using global black market sources to pirate textbooks that they are required to obtain for their classes. With the rising costs of textbooks - their prices increase approximately six percent per year - students have resorted to pirating them in hopes of cutting spending.
Book piracy, in particular, has become a concern for law enforcement and colleges alike due to its impact on the economy. Authors of pirated textbooks have lost hundreds of millions of dollars due to the trend of illegally downloading school resources. Publishers and authors have attempted to curb this trend by placing restrictions on pirated items in order to decrease the number of students who pirate items. Passwords and access codes are now provided with the purchase of many school textbooks. Also, renting textbooks is an option. But it's hard many students to rent a textbook that may be available for free somewhere online.
How Can Piracy Affect My Standing as a Students of the College?
There are groups that monitor the websites to identify who is illegally downloading books, movies, and music. They tend to specifically pay attention to colleges and universities. Once they notice that a copyrighted item has been downloaded illegally, they have been known to reach out to the school, who then takes steps to identify the student who is engaging in this illegal activity. If a student is successfully identified, the information is given to the dean and disciplinary actions may be taken. Also, companies like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have been known to file lawsuits against individuals who illegally download textbooks, music, and movies.
Nationwide Student Defense Attorney
If you are a college student who has been accused of pirating copyrighted material, you should consult an attorney that is dedicated to protecting your rights. Preserve your educational future and contact experienced legal professional Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
