The DMCA Revisited:
What's Fair?
July 15, 2004
Overview | Video | Panelist Biographies | One Pagers
The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee hosted a lunch panel on The DMCA Revisited: What's Fair? on July 15, 2004. Experts steeped in digital copyright law and technology debated the implications of revising the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Under the DMCA consumers may not break the digital locks on copyrighted works, such as DVDs. The DMCA allows the Copyright Office to grant specific exemptions to this prohibition.
However, the House Commerce Committee held a hearing last month on a bill that would grant consumers a broader exemption to the DMCA circumvention prohibition if it "does not result in an infringement of the copyright in the work." Among other things, it would allow consumers to break the digital locks, or digital rights management technologies, on copyrighted works if they can defend their actions as traditional "fair use."
A fair and balanced panel answered questions such as:- Does the DMCA need broader exemptions than those allowed by the Copyright Office?
- Will changes to the DMCA's circumvention protections prevent copyrighted works from being protected in the digital age?
- What effect will a broad exemption have on distribution of content over the Internet?
This event is hosted in conjunction with the Internet Caucus and its co-chairs--Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Congressmen Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Rick Boucher (D-VA).