Copyright Office Invites Requests to Testify in Section 1201 Rulemaking Hearings

The U.S. Copyright Office has issued a Federal Register notice announcing that it will hold public hearings in the triennial rulemaking proceeding under section 1201 of Title 17. Section 1201 provides legal protections against the circumvention of technological measures used by copyright owners to prevent unauthorized access to or use of their works. Through the section 1201 rulemaking, the Librarian of Congress may, upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, temporarily exempt certain classes of works from the statutory prohibition against circumvention.

The hearings will be held April 15-19, 2024, via Zoom. Members of the public who wish to testify must submit a request form available on the Office’s website. Requests must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. eastern time on Friday, March 1, 2024. Shortly thereafter, the Office will notify participants and post the hearings schedule on its website. All of the hearings will be live streamed online.

Background information about section 1201 is available at https://www.copyright.gov/1201/, which contains helpful resources, such as video tutorials, the Office’s policy study on section 1201, and links to prior rulemaking proceedings.