Beware of what you download

Since the start of the national lockdown, the UCT CSIRT has noted a significant increase in illegal downloads, such as movies and series, from various websites.

We understand that the national lockdown has left you with limited entertainment options, but UCT continues to respect copyright law and requires that all staff and students abide by the law too.

If it’s copyrighted, don’t download it

All copyrighted content is protected by laws and you may not download it without permission from the owner. If you are caught illegally downloading copyrighted content, you could face disciplinary and/or legal action. Your UCT network account will also be disabled should you be found to be in contravention of copyright laws and offend a second time.

Some illegal downloads may contain malware, which could infect your computer and the UCT network. To guard against this, use our remote working safety guide to ensure your device and home network are secure and not easy targets for cybercriminals.

Additionally, because UCT is listed as the offending institution, the university could get a bad reputation for allowing illegal downloads, and in extreme cases, UCT could be subjected to legal action. Furthermore, Internet Service Providers (ISP) and other organisations may choose to block UCT IP addresses. This would have an adverse effect on teaching, learning and research activities at UCT, which rely on national and international co-operation with other educational and research institutions.

Ensure that you abide by UCT’s policies and guidelines

The UCT Policy and Rules on Internet and Email use outlines the conditions that staff and students need to abide by when using these resources. Failure to comply with these conditions will be handled in accordance with procedures established for staff or student discipline. As an ISPA member, UCT is expected to abide by their policies around illegal content downloads and circulation via our network.

Let’s all work together to ensure we respect copyright.