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Peer-to-Peer (p2p) Resource Sharing

Acceptable use of file sharing applications.

Policy

Peer-to-peer applications

Peer-to-peer (p2p) applications such as BitTorrent, Morpheus, iMesh, and KaZaA, are all tools used for the quick exchange of large files over the internet. For this reason, p2p applications are useful tools for sharing, transferring and downloading files for research or educational purposes. However, because of the way these tools work, they can also be used for more harmful things such as violating copyright law.

Problems caused by p2p software

  • most p2p applications are configured to allow others to access all your hard drive files. You could unknowingly be sharing your personal information with other subscribed users
  • they make it easy for you to share music, videos, movies, software, text and all other files. For this reason it is very easy to download or upload things when you do not legally have permission to do so
  • it creates large amounts of network traffic which slows down the service we are able to provide

Acceptable use of file share applications

Using p2p file sharing software to download or upload obscene, copyrighted or illegal material is a breach of our acceptable use policy. Any breach will result in an investigation into the severity for appropriate action to be taken.

Exploitation of these applications has legal ramifications and is not prohibited by the p2p companies. People found to be misusing these applications may find they have their p2p accounts terminated. See BitTorent's Copyright Infringement Policy.

You can only download or share music, movies, videos and text from the internet if you have been given the permission to do so by the owner. Know the UK law on copyright and stick to what you have a legal right to share or download.

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