Copyright Infringement Policy

This policy applies to those who use Paul Mitchell The School Columbia, Paul Mitchell The School Charleston, and Paul Mitchell The School Greenville’s network or equipment to share files, including, the school’s faculty, staff, students, guests, external individuals, and organizations accessing network services via the school’s networking or computer facilities.

This copyright policy also includes the use of streaming services within the school network such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, or any other similar services.

Copyright is legal protection of intellectual property, in whatever medium, that is provided for by the laws of the United States to the owners of copyright. Types of works that are covered by copyright law include, but are not limited, to literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, pictorial, graphic, film, and multi-media works. This protection extends to software, digital works, and unpublished works and it covers all forms of a work, including its digital transmission and subsequent use.

This is in accord with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which provides educational institutions with some protections if individual members of the community violate the law. For the school to maintain this protection, it must expeditiously take down or otherwise block access to infringing material whenever it is brought to the attention of the organization. If the school receives an allegation of copyright infringement based on your use of the school’s networking or computers, the matter will be referred to the school director for further investigation.

The following are some examples of copyright infringement that may be found in a school setting:

• Downloading, using, or sharing files of music, videos, and games without proper documented permission of the copyright owner. 
• Using corporate logos without permission. 
• Placing an electronic copy of a standardized test on a department’s website without permission of the copyright owner. 
• Enhancing a departmental website with music that is downloaded or artwork that is scanned from a book, all without attribution or proper documented permission of the copyright owners.
• Scanning, taking a picture of, or digitally posting any photograph/image and using it without the proper documented permission or attribution. 
• Placing a number of full-text articles on a course webpage that is not password protected and allowing the web page to be accessible to anyone who can access the Internet. 
• Downloading licensed software from non-authorized sites without the permission of the copyright or license holder.
• Making a movie file or a large segment of a movie available on a website without proper documented permission of the copyright owner. 
• Torrenting or other peer to peer communication on the network.
• Streaming personal music from non-commercial platforms such as Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music or Apple Music.
• Streaming personal TV/Movies from streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, Disney Plus or similar platform is a violation of Copyright Law, as the agreement made is not between the Streaming Service and the School, but the Streaming Service and the individual.
• Sharing, taking a picture of, digitally posting, downloading, or distributing the proprietary curriculum, educational systems, and supporting digital or printed assets and tools (apps and printed materials such as books or guides) created and owned by Paul Mitchell Advanced Education.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act requires that all infringement claims must be made in writing and sent to copyright@paulmitchell.edu. For Paul Mitchell The School Columbia, Paul Mitchell The School Charleston, and Paul Mitchell The School Greenville to act on your notice, you must be authorized to enforce the copyrights that you allege have been infringed. When informing the School of an alleged copyright infringement, you must include the following information:

• A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or the person authorized to act on its behalf.
• A description of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
• A description of the infringing material and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material.
• Your contact information, including your address, telephone number, and email.
• A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
• A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and, under the pains and penalties of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

Please note, the School may not be able to act on your complaint promptly or at all if you do not provide this information.

Upon notification or due to detection, the School will take all necessary actions, including, but not limited to, temporary disconnection from internet access, to stop illegal sharing of copyrighted material on its network or computing devices by identified users.

Corrective actions can range from a written reprimand to termination from the School in the case of a student, or termination from employment in the case of an employee, depending on the nature and severity of the charges.

The consequences of copyright infringement also extend outside of the school. Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file sharing context, downloading, or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties.

In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505.Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.

For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov.