Publishers closely monitor using of the databases with technical measures regarding intellectual properties. Using software tools to download a large number of documents is considered malicious downloading, which will cause IP automatically blocked by providers’ server. Even seriously, the whole university’s IP will be blocked. It is highly possible that such violations may lead to legal consequences.
Different publishers have their own standards for batch downloading. Generally, it occurs when the same IP over-downloads library-subscribed electronic resources in a certain period of time with an abnormal frequency exceeding that of manual downloading, or using software tools such as Network Ants and Flashget to download.
Our patrons should not risk batch downloading because we are institutional subscribers and generally will not discontinue subscription, so users can download whenever necessary. Patrons are encouraged to practice fair use of electronic resources and exploit their value. At the same time, we will investigate and punish malicious downloading.
For more information, please refer to Regulation for Using E-Resources.
