Final Rule Published in Seventh Triennial Section 1201 Proceeding
Issue No. 732 - October 25, 2018
The Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Acting Register of Copyrights, is publishing a final rule in the Federal Register adopting exemptions to the statutory prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. Publication of the final rule marks the completion of the seventh triennial rulemaking proceeding under 17 U.S.C. 1201.
As in prior section 1201 proceedings, the Copyright Office administered the rulemaking through an extensive public process. For this seventh triennial proceeding, the Office implemented a new streamlining process enabling members of the public to seek renewal of existing exemptions to which there was no meaningful opposition. The Acting Register ultimately recommended readoption of all exemptions granted in the 2015 rulemaking.
The Office then invited public input on proposed new or expanded exemptions through three rounds of written comments and seven days of public hearings in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. As required by statute, the Office also consulted with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the Department of Commerce.
Based on this record, the Acting Register recommended the granting of several additional exemptions, as discussed in her formal Recommendation to the Librarian. The Librarian adopted the Acting Register’s Recommendation in full.
The final rule, the Acting Register’s Recommendation, the record materials in this proceeding, and general information about the section 1201 rulemaking process, are available on the Copyright Office website.
For media inquiries, please contact the Copyright Office at (202) 707-1287.