A second-year McMaster student has been fined $1,200 for illegally distributing copyrighted material from a computer in his residence room.

The student plead guilty to the charge of copyright infringement in provincial court this summer and his computer equipment was destroyed.

The student was charged in May with distributing copies of copyright- protected computer software programs following a four-month investigation by the Hamilton office of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and McMaster Security Services.

The programs were distributed over the internet from a private Web site situated in his room in residence. Such distribution is a
violation of the Canadian Copyright Act and constitutes fraud
under the Criminal Code of Canada.

The student's entire computer equipment including software, manuals and peripherals, were ordered destroyed. The case is now closed.

“We are informing the community of this fine and violation to alert all McMaster students of the seriousness of copyright infringement and to remind them of the need to exercise good judgment at all times,” says Bill Armstrong, operations manager, McMaster Security Services.

The student will also be subject to a hearing under the Student Code of Conduct.