Copyright Office Initiates Public Comment Periods for Section 1201 Rulemaking
Issue No. 563 - December 12, 2014
The Copyright Office today published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking initiating three rounds of public comment on exemptions that have been proposed in the sixth triennial rulemaking proceeding under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), 17 U.S.C. 1201. Section 1201 provides that the Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, may exempt certain classes of works from the prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works.
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In the first round of comments, which are due February 6, 2015, the Office seeks legal and evidentiary submissions from parties who support the adoption of a proposed exemption, as well as parties that neither support nor oppose an exemption but seek to share pertinent information about a proposal. Responsive legal and evidentiary submissions from those who oppose the adoption of a proposed exemption are due March 27, 2015. Written reply comments from supporters of a proposed exemption and parties that neither support nor oppose a proposed exemption are due May 1, 2015.
The office is also accepting brief general statements in support of or opposition to specific exemptions in accordance with the proceeding schedule. Commenters should carefully review the guidance provided in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the format and content of submissions. For more information, including template comment forms, please visit www.copyright.gov/1201/.