As an Internet Service Provider, McGill University is required to comply with copyright infringement responsibilities as per Canada’s Copyright Act (Copyright Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42). When we receive a claim regarding the illegal downloading or sharing of copyright-protected material, such as movies or music, using the McGill network, McGill is legally obligated to forward the claim to the individual associated with the IP address indicated in the infringement notice, as well as send a confirmation back to the copyright holder.
The Copyright Infringement Notification System (CINS) is an automated system that handles copyright infringement claims as required by Canada's Copyright Modernization Act. The system performs the following functions:
See the FAQs on McGill's Copyright Infringement Notification System
To fulfill its legal obligations, McGill provides this service to copyright holders who post digital content online. The primary users of this system are the copyright holders who wish to submit copyright infringement claims that have occurred through the McGill network.
McGill network users who download copyright-protected Internet files may receive copyright infringement notices from the system.
McGill users will only receive copyright infringement notifications via email. They do not require access to CINS.
Copyright holders can submit a digital copyright infringement claim by following these steps:
Ensure your claim meets the following requirements:
The system will validate the format of your submitted claim and send you a reply message. If your claim meets the requirements, you will be given a McGill Claim ID number, which you must enter into the CINS system to continue processing.
Detailed instructions will be provided in the email.
There is no cost associated with this service.
This service is available 24 X 7, except during scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Check the System Status page for announcements regarding service interruptions.
If the service is down temporarily, incoming claims will still be received and queued, but processing them will be delayed.
See answers to these and other FAQs on the IT Services website.
If you receive a copyright infringement notice:
See the FAQs on McGill's Copyright Infringement Notification System.
No training on the system is needed.
For information about Canada's Copyright Act, visit the Notice and Notice Regime on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.
All information needed is provided at FAQs on McGill's Copyright Infringement Notification System.