Maclean’s interviewed Don Thompson, UBC’s chief information officer, for a story on illegal downloading on campuses.
New federal laws require universities to forward copyright notices to students who allegedly illegally downloaded and shared copyrighted content.
Thompson said his office received 6,875 copyright notices in 2015 and some students pay settlement fees out of fear of court action.
“We have seen situations where the individual voluntarily pays but additional notices are sent in respect of the same alleged copying incident,” he said. “This, obviously, causes additional stress and concern over potential legal action.”
