VIC I downloaded ebooks from my Uni website and they are angry about it

[throwaway03022021]

My uni gives us access to a website of a big ebook provider. With the help of a friend I downloaded all of the books there using a web crawler. I saved those only for myself and never distributed to anyone else.
My uni has detected that my credentials were used to login to the website thousands of times. Now they are saying the ebook provider can sue me.
Is there any legal ground for them to sue me? Is there any past example of this kind of think happening? What will be my best defense? Should I admit that I did it or just say I don't know what happened?

 

[Rod]

Is there any legal ground for them to sue me?

Yes.

Can't see a defence when you deliberately breach IP law.

I suggest a mea culpa might help you though you need to be careful so you do not openly admit to the action and have that used later against you.

Talk to the Uni, and if necessary, go through a lawyer.

 

[TheRealPM]

I cant see a grounds for legal action unless what you did was especially prohibited in the site or library systems T&C s

I mean, they allowed you in right ? Just that you downloaded many books rather than the 1 they expected . Or is there more back story which is not above...

 

[Tim W]

I agree with @Rod.

The eBook provider can certainly sue you.
And you might be looking at non-academic misconduct proceedings
by the university, too.

 

[TheRealPM]

Sorey what?
Lawyers are way too theoretical .

Pray tell, what from above indicates an actual statute breach whixh could possibly give rise to conclusions you draw

 

[Rod]

Hmm, practising lawyers are too theoretical.

Suggest you study IP and contract law for your answer.

 

[Docupedia]

Sorey what?
Lawyers are way too theoretical .

Pray tell, what from above indicates an actual statute breach whixh could possibly give rise to conclusions you draw

Throw a dart at the Copyright Act. You’re likely to hit a section of relevance.

 

[Scruff]

With the help of a friend I downloaded all of the books there using a web crawler.

That will almost certainly be a breach of the web site's terms and conditions. Any form of "crawling", "scraping" or any other automated process is usually a breach of the T&C's for any web site.

 

[Tim W]

Any form of "crawling", "scraping" or any other automated process is usually a breach of the T&C's for any web site

And will almost certainly be a breach of copyright as a result.
As to what I said above

...non-academic misconduct proceedings
by the university, too.

that's where the University can take action against you
for using your university email to do unlawful stuff.