The potential consequences of illegal downloading and file sharing are extremely serious. There are both civil and criminal penalties for illegal downloading and file sharing:. The University is not legally empowered to protect, represent, advise or otherwise assist students who become subject to legal proceedings because of copyright infringement. Students who are sued, offered an out-of-court settlement, or cited for criminal copyright infringement must obtain their own legal representation.
Ezor suggested that employers begin by outlining the various business purposes to be achieved by granting employees Internet access. These purposes may differ depending on each employee's role in the company. For example, one employee msay only need to send and receive e-mail, while another may need to surf competitors' Web sites. Next, the small business owner should decide whether or not to monitor employee Internet use and, if so, what Web browser to provide. Many Web browsers are available, and they differ widely in the level of oversight and control they offer.
Finally, the small business owner should establish consequences in the event an employee runs afoul of the company's policies. The types of punishment should vary depending on the specific offense and the extent to which it exposes the company to liability. There are a number of software tools to make enforcement of an Internet usage policy easier for small businesses.
Web monitoring software is widely available from such industry leaders as Elron, Net Partners, and SurfControl. These packages allow companies to limit, filter, and monitor the materials employees access on the Internet.
Some systems print periodic reports of the sites visited by employees, while others scan for certain words in e-mail messages and domain names. Before starting to monitor employee Internet usage, however, it is important for small business owners to establish guidelines regarding inspections and inform employees about the company policies. Otherwise, employees may challenge the monitoring of e-mail or computer usage by claiming the employer has invaded their privacy. It may be helpful to inform employees in advance that the company offers Internet access for business purposes and reserves the right to monitor the use of its computer system.
As more and more companies have chosen to monitor employee e-mail and Internet usage, increasing numbers of workers have begun to challenge such policies. According to the Business Week article, some employees question why employers monitor their electronic communications if there is no cause to believe that their performance is suffering. Other people argue that American workers are spending more time at the office than ever before, and that occasional personal use of company computers is a small price for businesses to pay for the increased productivity this trend has brought.
Finally, some people note that excessive monitoring tends to make employees less committed to the company, because they feel that management does not trust them. Strict monitoring policies may also alienate talented young potential hires with valuable computer skills. Small business owners must find a balance between the potential risks of improper Internet usage by employees and the potential drawbacks of a strict Internet usage policy. Bernardi wrote in Canadian Manager. Illegal Downloading Laws The criminal activity — inherent in methods employed in the process of the Illegal Downloading of media- can be covered by a multitude of legal fields, including copyright law, cyber law, and criminal law; the unlawful transmission and dissemination of digital media in lieu of both legal purchase, as well as financial recuperation on the part of the industry applicable to the digital media is considered to be a criminal activity punishable by law enforcement.
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