Four New DMCA Exceptions

[Ann Okerson <aokerson@pantheon.yale.edu>]

>From Edupage, October 29, 2003, of possible interest:
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FOUR NEW DMCA EXCEPTIONS

Officials at the Library of Congress are required periodically to review
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The latest review has led to
four new exceptions to the DMCA's prohibition against circumventing
electronic copyright protections. Under the new exceptions, copyright
protections can legally be broken to access lists of Web sites blocked by
Internet filters; computer applications protected by broken or obsolete
copy protections; applications that use obsolete hardware or formats; and
e-books that do not allow disabled-access tools such as screen readers to
function. 

Many DMCA critics complained that the new exceptions are fairly narrow and
called again for exceptions that would allow users to break copyright
protections in order to play files on various devices and in other
formats. James Billington, the Librarian of Congress, said that his office
does not have the authority to grant those kinds of exceptions and that
such requests are typically made by individuals who do not understand
copyright law. CNET, 28 October 2003

[SNIP]

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