Library Regulation on Systematic or Excessive Downloading

Observing the law on copyright and systematic or excessive downloading of electronic content

The use of Library materials and facilities is subject to data protection legislation, copyright law and vendor licence agreements. Users must observe the applicable copyright law and the terms of any vendor licence agreements for materials they use, including print materials, electronic resources and materials in all other formats.  The Law states that serious infringement in photocopying, scanning or downloading of copyrighted material could lead to civil action or even criminal prosecution.

Systematic or excessive downloading of electronic content is expressly forbidden. 'Systematic' or 'excessive' downloading is defined as a deliberate attempt to copy or distribute a whole or significant part of an electronic resource using 'robots' or any such software, or any manual means designed for wholesale infringement, which results in a vendor licence violation on the part of the University and/or its Library.  Details of the applicable copyright law and licence agreements are available on the University Website.

A gross infringement of Copyright may subject the user to a loss of Library privileges:

1. The user's name will be recorded in the Library's register;
2. The user's borrowing privilege will be suspended for eight weeks from the day of violation;
3. For the student, a letter to this effect will be issued by the Library to the Faculty Dean, College Dean of Students and Department Chair to which the person belongs and to ITSC, and/or authority concerned.

Repeated offenses may lead to a total loss of the privilege of using the Libraries.