Marie Lynn Miranda UIC Chancellor | University Of Illinois At Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has issued its annual statement regarding copyright policies, as required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act. The notice clarifies that it is not in response to any specific incident but serves as an informational update.
Copyright infringement involves using, reproducing, or distributing protected works without permission from the copyright holder. Examples include sharing textbooks, software, music, movies, TV programs, and content generated by artificial intelligence if such output includes copyrighted material from its training data.
Exceptions like fair use exist, but sharing substantial portions of protected works—such as through peer-to-peer networks—without authorization typically constitutes infringement. Legal consequences for copyright violations can be significant. Civil penalties may involve courts awarding actual or statutory damages between $750 and $30,000 per infringed work; in cases of willful infringement, damages can reach up to $150,000 per work. Courts may also assess costs and attorneys’ fees under Title 17 U.S. Code §§ 504–505. Criminal penalties for willful infringement can include up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 per offense (Title 17 U.S. Code § 506(a); Title 18 U.S. Code § 2319).
All campuses within the University of Illinois system aim to comply with relevant copyright laws and university policies. Individuals found responsible for copyright infringement may face disciplinary measures such as loss of network access, mandatory training on copyright issues, academic sanctions like transcript notations, or even dismissal from the university.
According to UIC officials: "UIC has implemented a comprehensive plan to comply with Higher Education Opportunity Act requirements, including technology-based deterrents, bandwidth monitoring and annual educational outreach."
Additional details about these compliance efforts are available on the Policy on HEOA Compliance page through the Technology Solutions policies website at go.uic.edu/policies.
For more information about copyright and fair use at UIC, individuals can visit copyright.uic.edu or direct questions regarding this notice or HEOA compliance to security@uic.edu.