{"id":6747,"date":"2014-10-31T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2014-10-31T14:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=6747"},"modified":"2014-10-31T10:00:11","modified_gmt":"2014-10-31T14:00:11","slug":"copyright-office-to-consider-6th-round-of-exemptions-for-dodging-drm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/10\/31\/copyright-office-to-consider-6th-round-of-exemptions-for-dodging-drm\/","title":{"rendered":"Copyright Office to consider 6th round of exemptions for dodging DRM"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Since 1998, breaking most types of digital locks, often called Digital Rights Management (DRM), is against the law. Even well-lawyered companies that tried to plead fair use, as RealPlayer did in 2008, have been crushed. What chance does a regular Joe have?<\/p>\n

But if you have a legal use for copyrighted content, there is an “out.” Every three years, the Copyright Office accepts petitions on what activities should get an “exemption” under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The sixth tri-annual rulemaking is now upon us, and the deadline is this Monday, November 3.<\/p>\n

“It’s not a heavy lift to file a petition,” said Sherwin Siy, VP of legal affairs at Public Knowledge, an advocacy group that’s long been active on copyright issues. “Five pages, max, short and sweet.”<\/p>\n

Be specific, note that your activity does not infringe copyright, and explain “what harms you suffer by not being able to do this,” says Siy. “Don’t say ‘all software,'” he suggests. “Try and have some boundaries. If you have a particular point of view or example you’re dealing with, provide that.”<\/p>\n

Past exemptions have only been granted a handful of times. In the last round, for example, exemptions were granted for things like using short clips of DVDs for use in documentaries or for making educational clips.<\/p>\n

It’s a cumbersome and idiosyncratic process: unlocking one’s cell phone to switch carriers was given an exemption nine years ago, which was renewed six years ago\u2014and then in the last cycle, the exemption wasn’t renewed. So phone unlocking became illegal again, until that was reversed by Congress this summer.<\/p>\n

This year, Siy says Public Knowledge will be submitting petitions asking to legalize consumer ripping of DVDs, as well as allowing circumvention of DRM-based input to 3D printers. (In layman’s terms: “You can only use Acme Brand Plastic in our Acme 3D printer!”)<\/p>\n

He’s heard of other petitions on the way that will try to get exemptions for everything from medical devices to automobiles. Phone unlocking will surely come up again since the recent bill didn’t fix the problem permanently. And expect another attempt for “jailbreaking,” the allowance of unauthorized apps on smartphones.<\/p>\n

Once the petitions are submitted, it’s the beginning of a months-long process until the actual rules come out. The Copyright Office will ask for “evidentiary filings,” then allow opponents of the exemptions to respond, and then schedule public hearings on the proposed exemptions.<\/p>\n

Those considering filing should read the Copyright Office’s webpage regarding the rulemaking, check their proposed template (Word file), and read the Federal Register notice that goes into detail on what they’re looking for. To upload a petition, do so via the submission page.<\/p>\n

Is DRM getting you down\u2014creating a barrier to something that you think should be legal? Let us know by dropping us a line or share your experience with the community in the comments.<\/p>\n

via Copyright Office to consider 6th round of exemptions for dodging DRM | Ars Technica<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since 1998, breaking most types of digital locks, often called Digital Rights Management (DRM), is against the law. Even well-lawyered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9,10],"tags":[226,291],"class_list":["post-6747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-software","category-technology","tag-copyright","tag-dmca"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-1KP","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7692,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/02\/27\/bug-causes-music-group-to-bombard-google-with-bogus-dmca-takedowns\/","url_meta":{"origin":6747,"position":0},"title":"\u201cBug\u201d causes music group to bombard Google with bogus DMCA takedowns","author":"NCCT","date":"February 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Google is regularly bombarded with notices to remove links to infringing content from its search results\u2014nearly 34 million last month alone. The search giant also routinely gets hit with bogus notices, too, and Google often denies them. It's all part of the copyright Whac-a-Mole game courtesy of the Digital Millennium\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/screen-shot-2015-02-23-at-8-22-50-am-640x234.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/screen-shot-2015-02-23-at-8-22-50-am-640x234.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/screen-shot-2015-02-23-at-8-22-50-am-640x234.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5854,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/06\/27\/supreme-court-rules-against-aereo-in-landmark-television-debate\/","url_meta":{"origin":6747,"position":1},"title":"Supreme Court rules against Aereo in landmark television debate","author":"NCCT","date":"June 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The way we watch television in this country isn\u2019t going to change anytime soon. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that television streaming startup Aereo violates copyright laws by capturing over-the-air signals using an array of mini antennas and delivering said content to subscribers for a fee. Aereo could\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5527,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/05\/13\/this-week-in-tech-457-hopped-up-on-goofballs\/","url_meta":{"origin":6747,"position":2},"title":"This Week in Tech 457: Hopped Up on Goofballs","author":"NCCT","date":"May 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Paying for bits, Apple and Beats, API copyright, review libel, and more.","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/gg0VFeEuDm0\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9299,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/02\/19\/this-week-in-tech-654-bye-bye-mr-ajit-pai\/","url_meta":{"origin":6747,"position":3},"title":"This Week in Tech 654: Bye, Bye Mr. Ajit Pai","author":"NCCT","date":"February 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/T1O-4w3bMXQ News publishers violated copyright by embedding a tweet. Are video games to blame for the Florida school shooting? A drone causes a helicopter to crash. Are we seeing the end of Facebook? Apple isn't making as much money on the HomePod compared to other products. The controversial Snapchat update.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/T1O-4w3bMXQ\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7063,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/12\/10\/pirate-site-the-pirate-bay-goes-down-then-sails-for-costa-rica\/","url_meta":{"origin":6747,"position":4},"title":"Pirate site The Pirate Bay goes down, then sails for Costa Rica","author":"NCCT","date":"December 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The original home of The Pirate Bay, probably the Web\u2019s highest-profile site for copyrighted movies, music, and software, is no longer online. However, at least a placeholder is alive on a Costa Rican domain\u2014though not much more than that. TorrentFreak first noted the outage. The site\u2019s reporters said that they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9370,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/06\/24\/this-week-in-tech-672-meme-the-queen\/","url_meta":{"origin":6747,"position":5},"title":"This Week in Tech 672: Meme the Queen","author":"NCCT","date":"June 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZCttWvS1qJw Two HUGE Supreme Court decisions, Apple admits its keyboards suck, Europe's war on memes, and more. -- The US Supreme Court kills warrantless cell phone location fishing and okays state sales taxes on internet purchases. -- Apple offers refunds on MacBook butterfly keyboard repairs and wants to let you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ZCttWvS1qJw\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6747\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}