The Dark Knight at Clemson

Many who have seen the summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as the ever-popular Caped Crusader believe it to be the best Batman movie ever produced. Also Heath Ledger's performance of the popular nemesis, the Joker, has caused many to suggest that it is a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. Even the performance of Aaron Eckhart as Gotham's white knight later turned twisted, double-personality, coin-flipper Two-Face, was a hit among hard core comic book fans.

The cast of the movie are also appearing in Clemson all over campus. The movies popularity around the world has so many Clemson students excited, that some have decided that they could not wait for the film's impending release to DVD and Blue Ray Disc and so have used their internet access available through Clemson University to illegally download the movie. Unfortunately, this type of activity is frowned upon by the music and film industry and is discouraged here at Clemson University. The Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America are quick to prosecute individuals who are responsible for illegally downloading copyrighted materials. 

What this Means for You 

If you are a student who has used "University computing resources, including network facilities, account numbers, data storage media, printers, plotters, microcomputer systems, software," to illegally download copyrighted materials such as a movies, songs, etc., this is a violation of the University's Computer Misuse Policy. For more information on the Computer Misuse Policy please see the CCIT website. Continued misuse of Clemson's computing resources could result in termination of your internet access. 

If you have not used our resources to illegally obtain copyrighted materials, but still you are in possession of illegally downloaded music and/or movies, the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America are actively seeking you out. Akin to theft, piracy is a crime and it does violate Federal, State, and Local Law. Every semester we receive letters from the recording and movie industry telling us of students who are currently violating U.S. Copyright Law. Even if you received something from a friend, according to the Motion Picture Association website, "The illegal downloading and swapping of movie files is a serious crime. Pirates and their affiliates will be tracked for engaging in Internet piracy." 

Some students seem to believe that committing piracy is a victimless crime. However, there are many consequences for engaging in this behavior and it does effect everyone, including movie-lovers. Much like department stores and shoplifting, ticket, music, and movie prices will continue to rise to compensate for the loss.