Legitimate usage policies explained

Information Technology Services provides computing facilities and services for the legitimate instructional, research and administrative computing needs of the university. Proper use of those facilities and services supports the legitimate computing activities of Eastern students, faculty and staff. Proper use respects intellectual property rights.

Legitimate instructional computing is work done by an officially registered student, faculty or staff member in direct or indirect support of a recognized course of study. Legitimate research computing is work approved by an authorized official of a university department. Legitimate administrative computing is work performed to carry out official university business.

Intellectual property rights begin with respect for intellectual labor and creativity. They include the right to acknowledgment, the right to privacy and the right to determine the form, manner and terms of publication and distribution.

Proper computing use follows the same standards of common sense and courtesy that govern use of other public facilities. Improper use violates those standards by preventing others from accessing public facilities or by violating their intellectual property rights. Therefore, the basic policy of the university on proper use is:

• Any use of Information Technology Services facilities or services unrelated to legitimate instructional or research computing is improper if it interferes with another’s legitimate instructional or research computing.
• „Any use of Information Technology Services facilities or services that violates another person’s intellectual property rights is improper.  
• „Any use of Information Technology Services facilities or services that violates any university policy, any local, state or federal law or which is obscene or defamatory is improper.
• „Any use resulting in commercial gain or private profit (other than allowable under university intellectual property policies) is improper.

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