Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

On September 16, 2014, the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) submitted a statement to the US House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary for a hearing on Chapter 12 of Title 17. In the statement, LCA urges that Congress adopt both substantive amendments to section 1201 as well as procedural changes to the rulemaking process.

On March 12, 2014, the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) submitted a statement on the importance to libraries of the safe harbors provided by Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to the US House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary.

On May 13, 2013, the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) issued a statement applauding the introduction in the US House of Representatives of H.R. 1892, the Unlocking Technology Act of 2013. The bill guarantees that legitimate uses of digital works and technologies will not run afoul of copyright law, even if they require breaking digital locks. Prompted by the recent uproar...

On February 27, 2012, the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) submitted reply comments to Copyright Office regarding renewal of the existing DVD exemption with respect to higher education. In their comments, they argue that the existing formulation of wording provides sufficient flexibility for educators to use film clips effectively and efficiently, and that the exemption should be renewed without change to...

On November 29, 2011, the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) submitted comments to the Library of Congress in response to their Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding 1201 of the Copyright Act. LCA asks that the previous exemptions for the prohibition of circumvention of copyright protection systems for access control technologies be renewed.

On July 26, 2010, the Library Copyright Alliance joined a coalition of public interest and consumer groups in an amicus brief written by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asking the Ninth Circuit to reject the arguments made by Universal Music Group (UMG) and affirm the lower court’s decision in UMG v. Veoh.

On April 12, 2010, members of the Library Copyright Alliance joined other groups in filing an amici curiae brief urging the Court to reject the Plaintiffs’ interpretation of Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

On July 9, 2009, LCA and other institutions responded to Robert Kasunic, Principal Legal Advisor at the Office of the General Council regarding screen capture software and its relationship to DMCA Section 1201.

On May 6, 2009, Jonathan Band testified on behalf of LCA on renewal and expansion of the film clip compilation exemption to the DMCA Section 1201 prohibition on circumvention of access control technologies.

On February 2, 2009, the LCA and Music Library Association submitted comments in support of the renewal and modest broadening of the existing exemption for film clip compilations in two related ways: works included in any college or library, and works used in classrooms by instructors in all subjects.