Copyright Office Initiates Section 1201 Study and Requests Public Comments
Issue No. 605 - December 28, 2015


The United States Copyright Office is undertaking a public study to assess the operation of section 1201 of title 17, United States Code, including the triennial rulemaking process established under the DMCA to adopt exemptions to the prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. To aid this effort, the Office will publish on December 29, 2015 a Federal Register notice soliciting written comments from the public on several aspects of section 1201, including the triennial rulemaking, the statute’s anti-trafficking provisions, the permanent exemptions, and consumer issues. The Notice of Inquiry and more information about the study are available here.


Written comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on February 25, 2016. Written reply comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 25, 2016. Specific instructions for submitting comments will be posted on the Copyright Office website on or before February 1, 2016. The Office will be announcing one or more public meetings, to take place after written comments are received, by separate notice in the future.